A Flower Of War
by kitsune21809
Summary: TC 2011, Ep. 16-. Mumm Ra attempts to rid himself of Lion-O for good by sending him to an Alternate pocket dimension. However, he doesn't expect WilyKit to intercept the attack before it can hit him. Now, stuck in a world where Mumm Ra rules all and she is his personal slave. Full summary inside...
1. Chapter 1

_**UPDATE: Someone asked if this was a remake of 'Embracing Dark Desires'. The answer is no. I have never heard of this story and a if there are any similarities between my fic and that one, they are purely coincidental. I came up with this fic over a year ago after I finished the season of Thundercats 2011.**_

_**This same person also commented on the cover image for this story, I also would like everyone to know that I drew that picture and it can be found on my deviantart account. Listed on my profile. **_

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**Here it is. My ThunderCats 2011 Fanfic. It more than likely won't be very long.**

**It will however cover some rather graphic issues and the like. It's not a story for little kids, that's all I gotta say. I like a good MA fanfiction, I like the reality of it. It's not all candy and bullshit if you get my drift.**

**But, I did have to change a few things around to make this fic even possible. For starters.**

**It's a WileyKitXLion-O fic. So first thing first, if you don't like the idea, DON'T READ!**

**IT'S NOT A PEDOBEAR STORY!**

**In this fic, WileyKit is sent into another demension where she spends ten years as MummRa's slave. In a sense she grows up but the the real world, only a few hours have passed. She's grown up but nobody else has aged at all. **  
**So again, SHE'S A GROWN WOMAN NOT A LITTLE GIRL!**

**Just really need to stress that, because there are people out there who might not agree.**

**Fair Warning-**

**There will be sex scenes later on.**

**There will be mention of rape, but more than likely, I won't actually write out those scenes.**

**If you are uncomforatble with a certain topic or scene in the story, it is all right to comment and write your thoughts, but please do not flame unreasonably. Be polite, please.**

**I accept all opinions but don't curse me please.**

**I think that's all in the warning department.**

**I will update as much as possible but there will be no set routine to my updates. You get em when you get em.**

**Read, have fun, and LEAVE A COMMENT! I love to hear just what people actually think of my work.**

**Thanks everyone! **  
**~kITSUNE21809**

**Title**: A Flower Of War

**Author**: Kitsune21809

**Rating**: M

**Pairing**: WileyKit/Lion-O (Read Description)

**Summary**: TC 2011, Ep. 16-. Mumm Ra attempts to rid himself of Lion-O for good by sending him to an Alternate pocket dimension. However, he doesn't expect WileyKit to intercept the attack before it can hit him. Now she is stuck in another world where Mumm Ra rules all and she serves as his personal slave. Meanwhile, having defeated the real Mumm Ra, Lion-O asks Jaga that he return WileyKit to the real world. When she returns, the innocent little girl they once knew is gone, only to be replaced by a war hardened woman, who wants nothing but revenge on the monster who enslaved her and she'll do anything to get it. Now, WileyKit struggles with her bloodlust for the monster who did this to her and her lust for the man who saved her.

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**Prologue**

**There Goes My Hero**

There is fire. There is fire and smoke and ash and she can't _breathe,_ but she needs to breathe, needs to get oxygen to her lungs before her head explodes and She. Needs. Air. Wilykit is not stupid, is not a fool, and she knows that this is what must be done to beat Mumm Ra. Her brother is gone; she can't see him through the hazy smoke that lingers in the air. But she sees Lion-O. She sees him mounting the steps towards Mumm Ra, a snarl stretching his face as he shouts, "Mumm Ra! You have something of mine!"

The decaying corpse of a man smiles wickedly at him.

"Yes, and without it, you will never defeat me."

Even from this distance, she can hear Lion-O's growls.

She's not paying attention and because of this, a furious lizard-man lunges at her with a sharp dagger. It's not until Tygra knocks him to the ground by her feet that she realizes how close she came to losing her head.

"Pay attention Kit!" He calls to her and she nods mutely. Screams rip through the air and Wilykit , for a moment, wants to lie on the charred ground and press her palms flat against her ears and cry. But Wilykit is a strong girl, and she will not give in to her temptation, to the need to just surrender herself and cry, so she keeps moving, keeps going, because it is the only thing keeping her alive.

There's a tingling sensation in the air. The electric static that comes with Mumm Ra's magic and leaves her fur standing on end. A quick glance at him tells her that he has summoned his darker magiks. His body is three times the size it was before and she knows that if Lion-O doesn't hurry up and get the sword, it'll be too late.

Suddenly, the idea comes to her and making sure to stay firmly out of his line of sight, Wilykit sneaks around the two duelists, inching closer and closer towards the sword. If she can just get it to Lion-O…

"You may have the Sword of Omens, but I still have the Spirit Stone! And I am _king_ of the ThunderCats!"

"Not for long! Soon, I'll be rid of you forever!"

Her fingers brush the handle as she jerks her head up at that last statement. What had he meant by that? Wilykit sees Mumm Ra's hand, raised high over his head. There's a dark energy growing around it. It grows and grows and she suddenly feels this horrible feeling settle in the pit of her stomach.

Something's wrong.

Fear clogs her throat, makes her choke, makes her cough and causes her eyes to water and _oh _she has never been so afraid. Her eyes shoot towards Lion-O. Why is he just standing there? Every instinct in her is screaming danger. Telling her to move her body; to move him. They only just got him back and she feels, she knows that if that thing hits him he'll be gone again. Gone for good this time.

Lion-O eyes widen as he sees her darting towards him, the sword in hand. He reaches out for her, whether to catch her or the sword, she doesn't know. Mumm Ra screams and they both know that he sees her.

"No!"

Time slows. Wilykit glances back to see Mumm Ra fling the ball of sparking energy towards Lion-O and she jumps. The sword flies from her grip, slicing through the air towards him and miraculously, he catches it. But the ball keeps coming and in the few seconds she knows it will take to reach him she doesn't have time to think.

She's never run so fast in her life, but she makes it. Instead of Lion-O, the ball hits _her _with ferocity. There's a loud buzzing in her ears and someone is screaming, someone that suspiciously sounds like Wilykit herself. Her body temperature rises until she thinks she's on fire, burning from the inside out. She doesn't register Lion-O or the others screaming for her.

She can't hear or see anything.

Just the pain.

And then, when it feels like she might just explode from the intensity of it all, everything stops.

Lion-O watches in desperation as Wilykit disappears, along with the dark bubble of black energy that had encased her. One second, she's there and the next…gone. He's having trouble wrapping his mind around it.

She can't be gone.

Not Kit.

But there's nothing there, nothing except Mumm Ra's smirking visage.

"Oops, wrong target."

Behind him, Lion-O hears WileyKat's wails. "Kit! Kit where are you?"

When the other's try to quite him amongst the battle, he resists. "No, stop! We have to find her! Kit!"

A fierce growl resonates within the lion's throat and he snarls viscously as a red blast shoots forth from the war stone. "Where is she! What did you do!"

Mumm Ra screams as the blast hits him and he stumbles, falling back onto the ground. But he isn't down long. In the next instant, he's up and running towards the center of the room. Lion-O gives chase, cursing under his breath.

Far ahead, Mumm Ra laughes. "She's mine now! You'll never get her back!"

He dives into a trap door in the floor. A loud, whirring sound pierces the room and the floor and walls around them begin to hum with the sound of sirens. Red lights vibrate off the walls. Lion-O cries out in agitation and quickens him pace, trying to reach the escape before it shuts and Mumm Ra gets away.

He grinds to a halt as Panthro grabs his shoulder. "Forget him, Lion-O. We've gotta get outta here!"

With a fierce curse, Lion-O turns and flees with Panthro out the main gate.

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_I struggled with myself on weather or not I should post this on Fanfiction . net... originally it was posted on my deviantart account and though I will still update there first, I think it will be more organized here. The story anyway, all illustrations I have done and will do will stay on the other account._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

WileyKat is crying openly, making no attempt to hide the loss he feels for his sister. Cheetara, though not as blatantly as the young kit, has small tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. But she does not let them fall. Although, they are victorious, they feel nothing but the sharp sting of defeat at the loss of Wilykit .

Lion-O most of all. He doesn't talk to anyone; no one really speaks, the shock being too much. She was right in front of him, right there. All he had to do was reach out and grab her and she would still be here. Cheetara breaks the uncomfortable silence then.

"I think it's time you told us what happened to you, Lion-O."

Even Kat calms enough to hear this. But he has no answer for them. There's no time left to tell them. His eyes catch the lights in the distance; sunrise. For a few moments, he watches it with a kind of numb detachment ( a coping mechanism). If he can convince himself he feels nothing, then he thinks, it won't hurt so bad at the thought of leaving them.

"I'm sorry."

His companions are silent. But once more, it is Cheetara who speaks.

"What?"

"I have to leave you now."

There is a tense, questioning pause then, WileyKat shoves away from Cheetara to grab at Lion-O's pant leg viscously. Lion-O turns abruptly to find the kitten snarling in a very grown up fashion at him. The tears have stopped, but the marks trail down his cheeks, proof of their existence.

"What do you mean leave? First my sister and now…now you! What kind of King are you?" He spits.

It's like a slap to the face. His heart twists in ways that he never imagined and he wants so much to explain, to tell them why but it's too late. Glancing back, he sees the sun's rays peeking over the distant hills. Kat is sniffling again, and Lion-O knows he's about to break down again. Gently, he pries the little boy's fingers from his clothes and kneels in front of him. He smiles sadly, with his hands placed upon the boy's shoulders. The others watch on in confusion and silence.

"A terrible one, it would seem."

Kat sniffs, then hiccups as his tears break free once more. "Why?" He whispers.

The small, pink Spirit Stone begins to shine, drawing the attention of everyone in the group. It projects an image in the space behind him and Jaga's voice stops him from answering, his words rough and coarse, his voice deep.

"Because, he has paid the ultimate price."

Everyone turns to the Spirit, confusion evident in their expressions. Lion-O stands and steps away from them. He is ready. "Lion-O, what is he talking about?" Tygra asks, but Lion-O says nothing. He can't.

"I guess it's time."

Jaga's voice interrupts him, and startled Lion-O stares at the image of the old maester.

"Yes. Time for you to lead your people to victory with the knowledge you have learned as the reborn king of the ThunderCats."

It takes a second for the realization to come to him, but when it does, surprise is evident on his face. A slow grin stretches across his face and he feels as much as hears the hitch of joy in his voice. "You mean…I can stay? H…How? The trials…"

"The trials were designed to test more than just your skill. They were designed to test your heart. When you made the ultimate sacrifice to save your friends, you showed what it truly means to be a king." There is pride in his voice, Jaga is proud of him.

He turns back to them with a smile, beaming at their lost and somewhat annoyed expressions. But someone is missing. Someone that without her, their little group wouldn't be complete.

"Jaga." He says turning back to the old spirit. "Wilykit …Mumm Ra sent her somewhere. I don't know where but, can you bring her back?"

Kat gasps at his request and turns to the old man with pleading eyes. Jaga is silent, contemplating for several seconds, then he sighs. "Your request is not impossible, Lion-O. However, Mumm Ra's magic is very dark and evil. Considering the extent of time the girl has been gone, there is no telling what tortures she has witnessed."

"All the more reason to bring her back!" Panthro hisses angrily.

"Jaga, please." Lion-O pleads with him.

"Very well, but I warn you, if you ask this of me, if you truly wish to have her returned to you, you may not like what comes out."

Lion-O nods perceptibly. "I understand."

"Then it shall be done."

As his image fades, the others wait tensely for some sign of the little girl. There is none and Kat looks around frantically, searching for his sister. "Where is she? Where's kit?"

There is a sudden electrifying shock in the air, and the hair on Lion-O's neck stands on end. Behind them, a large black rift cracks the air and the sound of popping and the booming of thunder shakes the ground. They hear screams, horrible high pitched wails of pain and just a quickly, a figure is thrown through the portal. She crashes to the ground, rolling once in the sand and suddenly is very still. She's lean, scantily clad in black fabric and gold metal. She's dressed like a slave, but not the kind for battle or scullery. She's dressed as a servicing slave, the kind that belongs to the wealthiest of men for more baser pleasures. Her hair is long and waves loosely and tangled around her waist as she rises painfully from her crouch.

Something isn't right here. That is no child, by far. This is a grown woman of his own age, Lion-O thinks. But her hair, eyes, markings, they all suggest that she is their lost friend. But how? How could she have changed so much in such a short amount of time? WileyKat glares spitefully at her and steps forward hissing. "That's not Kit! Where's my sister? What did you do to her!?"

"WileyKat, wait!" Lion-O manages to grab the boy just in time as the rift closes with a bang and the girl rolls to her feet like a striking cobra. The little boy-cub screams in fright as her claws rip out, snagging on the hem of WileyKat's shirt and ripping a sizable hole in the coarse fabric. She's growling and spitting like a trapped animal and her eyes are wild and jump to each member of the group in a frenzy.

"What is this?" She screams; spit flying from her mouth, her eyes roving him, taking in his every detail, watching his every movement. "Who are you!?"

Cautiously, Lion-O pushes WileyKat behind him and motions for the others, who have begun to reach for their weapons to stay back. "Kit?" He goads her gently, his hands up in front of him like he's trying to soothe an angry beast. "Kit? Is it you?"

She's confused and it shows in her expression for a fleeting moment before she's back to that cold, calculating stare. What is this? Mumm Ra's illusions never ask who she is, they always know. Are always taunting her with rescue, with false securities.

Lion-O inches closer and he visibly sees her coil further into herself; a vicious predator ready to spring at the slightest movement.

"Lion-O, be careful." Cheetara warns.

Her molten gold eyes stay locked on his form, his face. Reading, calculating. Wilykit 's tail jerks to and fro, and her eyes are burning with rage and a bit of edginess that would make most men nervous, but Lion-O is unafraid, he sees only the child that had been with them mere hours ago.

Her head jerks to the left in a barely noticeable movement, but Lion-O sees everything; he sees the way her fingers twitch, sees the way her tail moves in jerky, unpredictable movements, sees the way her movement is in strange spurts instead of everything flowing together like it should, and something is wrong, he knows it; something is wrong inside her head. She's growling, a warning that he should back off, but he doesn't.

"It's alright Kit, your safe. Don't you recognize us?" He talks slow and soothing as he approaches, hands held placating in front of him. He's so close to her, he can see the dirt smudged in her hair, the deep lines set in between her brows and at the edges of her mouth. She looks like she hasn't slept in years.

Wilykit moves, snapping Lion-O from his thoughts and making him tense, but she only leans forward, back hunched, and begins to circle him, her tail jerks angrily behind her. He keeps his eyes on her and she smirks then.

"You know this won't work. I won't fall for it again Mumm Ra." She's done this before. Mumm Ra has played these fucked up mind games with her too many times to count. And almost every time, she's fallen for the same trick. He preys on her hope, on her belief that someday, they'll come for her. Someday, they'll save her. But it's not today, because too much time has passed since then. Her brother would be older now; Lion-O would be older. But he looks the same, they all do and she hates it because she's the only one who's changed. And that's how she knows it all fake.

"Kit, it really is us." Cheetara tries to reason with her, tries to soothe her with gentle words. "What's wrong with her?" WileyKat asks pitifully, not understanding what's going on.

"Shut up!" Wilykit snaps, taking her eyes off of Lion-O to glare heatedly at them. That is when he should have attacked, should have gained the upper hand before it got out of control, but Lion-O cannot get himself to move with the hopes that she will come to her senses. Wilykit turns back to Lion-O. "I'm sick of these twisted games, Mumm Ra!"

"Kit, stop." Lion-O says his voice stern. He makes the mistake of reaching out to stop her from circling him, to steady her and look her in the eye. He makes the mistake of thinking of her as still a child.

In response, Wilykit springs to attack Lion-O, going straight for his throat. She screams a high pitched, primal sound as she does so; a shriek that sounds similar to a mountain lion. He sidesteps easily, but Wilykit changes direction with ridiculous speed, ramming her fist into his jaw. He had expected her fighting to be hindered by the fact that she has obviously lost her mind and she had previously been untrained, but, then again, it's obvious now that she had been in that place long enough to learn.

Lion-O recovers quickly, allowing Wilykit to throw a few more punches, dodging and blocking them effortlessly. She does not wear the calm, calculating look anymore; it is replaced with a snarl, which unnerves him more than it should. Wilykit blocks Lion-O's next blow with her forearm, then catches Lion-O's kick in her fist, tugging and knocking him on his back. Her fists find his face, beating it repeatedly, getting at least six punches in before she stands and kicks his ribcage painfully. Her strength surprises them all as he all but flies through the air to land a scant few feet from her.

The others stand shocked into submission by the scene unfolding before them. Tygra has never seen anything like it. He has never seen a fight so outright vicious. They are throwing blows wildly and forcefully, with little control.

He opens his eyes blearily and sees red. There's a small scratch above his eye and the blood as run down in a small stream to blur half of his vision. He can't breathe; the smell of copper clogs his nose and runs down into his mouth. With a grownl, he spits the red substance into the sand beside him. He frowns, he hasn't taken a beating this hard since he went up against Tygra in the tournament on the day Thundera fell.

He barely has time to think before she's coming at him again.

Lion-O rolls to his feet as her claws crashes into the sand where his head once laid. He stares at her astonished and realizes with a start that she's trying to kill him. Sensing his distraction, Wilykit phases behind him and catches him in the back of the head. Lion-O stumbles forward but, with a yell of rage, turns and slams Wilykit into the ground.

"Enough!"

He manages to pin her legs down into the gritty sand with his knees and his left forearm presses against her collar bone to keep her still. However, his fingers accidently brush over the skin of her thigh as he reaches to secure her wrists. He watches in amazement as her eyes dilate, then thin to pinpricks, swallowed up by golden lava. Something inside her snaps and she heaves her entire body beneath him in an attempt to gain freedom. She's become frantic, struggling with all her might as she screams.

"No! No! Let go of me!"

Lion-O doesn't know what to do. He's never felt so lost in his life. Suddenly, her hand breaks free and with a fierce growl, she slaps him, hard, her claws digging unmercifully into his cheek.

With a yell of his own, his head snaps to the side and he turns back to her grabbing both of her wrists in his hands and holding them secure above her head. It's an awkward position, he knows but he doesn't know what else to do.

Then, to his utter amazement, she begins to cry. Thick, salty tears slide over her cheeks as she screams, begging him for mercy.

"Please no! Not again! Please! I'll do anything, just please not that! Not him, please!"

The others wilt at the sound of her cries and Cheetara finally breaks, burying her face into Tyrgra's collar as her own tears fall free. Tygra holds her tight, the pain of realization evident as he buries his own face into her hair. Panthro can say or do nothing, so he gently holds WileyKat who is sobbing at his feet.

Lion-O on the other hand has had all he can take. With the hand not holding her wrists, he grabs her chin and jerks it to face him. "Wilykit , _look at me!_"

She does, her screams coming to an abrupt stop. She's close to hyperventilating and he can feel the rapid beat of her pulse in the crook of her wrists. Slowly, her eyes revert back to normal as she spots the blood coating his cheek. "We're not an illusion, you're safe now."

He feels her relax beneath him and sighs with relief.

A warm drop of blood drips from his chin and lands wetly beneath her right eye. Two more follow in its wake and it's only until she feels the warm, sticky path running down her cheek that realization sets in.

He's telling the truth. He has to be. Because if there's one thing she's learned in all those years of torture, it's that illusions don't _bleed_. The tension leaves her body in one great rush and she suddenly feels very, very tired.

"Lion-O?" Her voice is hoarse from her cries and timid, as if she's afraid. The others glance up then, hoping it's all over now. Slowly, he releases her wrists and sits up slightly. But he doesn't move completely off her yet. He wants to make sure she's not going to snap again.

"It's me. I promise."

With a mixed cry of relief and joy, she launches herself at him, arms tangling around his shoulders in a vice like grip. What neither he, nor any of the others expect is when she kisses him; long and hard as if her very life depended on it. As she draws back, he can only stare in astonishment as she smiles and cries. "It's you! It's really you! I knew you'd come and even when he…but you're here and…" She chokes cutting off her babbling incoherency and he smiles. Over his shoulder she spots the others and it's like she's seeing them for the first time. She wiggles free of her king and sprints over the dunes to embrace and (he can't help the twinge of disappointment he feels) kiss every one of them like she did with him, even Cheetara to the woman's complete and utter shock.

Tygra comes to stand at his side as he watches her sink to her knees and embrace her brother and though they are twins there is a stark difference between the two now.

"What do we do now?" Tygra asks him, staring at the girl turned woman.

Lion-o sighs. "We get some answers."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

Wilykit remembers when she was first captured by Mumm Ra. She remembers the immense fear she had and her foolish belief that her friends would rescue her quickly and saver her from that monster. She remembers as the years passed, she little by little began losing faith that they would ever come for her. It never even once crossed her mind that maybe time was passing differently on the two planes.

But one thing she remembers most of all, is that first week. One of the worst she'd suffered throughout all the ten years she was stuck there. The dimension she was confined to was nothing like this one. It was far too small and at the same time vast and endless. It could be whatever Mumm Ra wanted. Mostly, it was a dirt planet, not having one speck of green to decorate its gloomy exterior, and Wilykit _hated_ it.

Third Earth, _Thundera_ was so much more beautiful.

The first week there she had been taught to be a proper slave, and that involved cleaning, cooking, and obeying. When they had learned of her dismal cooking skills, Mumm Ra had almost disposed of her, but she had learned. It was serve or die, there. And she was determined not to die.

Wilykit 's big mouth got her a few more whippings than she would have liked (sometimes she complained, and Mumm Ra did not like to hear complaints), and sometimes it was simply too hard not to snap at her Master. But she was a good worker, so she was forgiven.

Escape was a constant on her mind, which is why when an opportunity arose in that first week, she took it. She'd been sent to the marketplace for food. Escorted of course, but the lout Mumm Ra had sent to escort her was a fat, lazy wolf who could barely keep his eyes open much less on her.

Her chance presents itself when they stop at a vender and for a moment she is struck by his stupidity, by placing his back to her and speaking to someone without paying attention to anything she is doing-

And she bolts.

Wilykit does not even remember having the actual urge to _run_, but once she starts she does not hesitate to stop. The stalls flash by her in a whir of color and her only conscious thought is _freedom, oh sweet freedom_. She can only hope to get a head start and pray that he does not turn around or notice her absence for a long while because there is no possible way she can outrun him, and oh if he finds her he'll kill her and what was she thinking, what was she thinking doing this, she'll never escape -

"Psst, girl, come in here." Wilykit snaps to attention to see an elderly cricket woman with pale, purple eyes, antennas, and hard green skin gesture to her, motioning for her to enter the clay house that she stands in. Without a moment's hesitation, Wilykit darts inside, the woman shutting the door behind her quickly. Wilykit finds herself in an utterly bare, tiny room, with the only light coming from the windows.

The stranger hurriedly shutters all the windows, casting the both of them into darkness, and Wilykit leans against the wall, sliding to the floor. "We get runaway slaves in here all the time," the woman says as she moves about, making sure to make it impossible for anyone to spot them. "I'm not heartless; I usually help them until their Masters give up and leave. Slavery is wrong, dearie, very wrong."

"Thank you," Wilykit says in-between her panting breaths. She had been extremely fortunate to happen upon someone so kind, and she wishes to express it as best she can, but can't seem to think of the appropriate words. "I'll do anything, get you anything – "

"No need, missy, no need," says the stranger, kindly waving off any suggestion that Wilykit attempts to make as she peers through the blinds in the window. "It's nothing."

A long silence passes in which Wilykit leans against the clay wall of the woman's home and regains her breath. Just when she thinks that perhaps her luck has changed and the wolf has left without her, thinking her not worth the trouble, the green-skinned woman gasps, backing away from the window with the undeniable look of pure terror etched on her face. "You," she says, pointing an accusatory finger at Wilykit , "y-you didn't say your master was…!"

"I-I-" Wilykit stutters, but the woman cuts her off, throwing her hands in the air.

"Get out!" She shrieks, the fear making her practically insane. "Get out of my home! Don't you know they can _smell _you?"

As if to prove her point, the door smashes open and flies off its hinges, colliding into the wall opposite of Wilykit . Both women scream and Wilykit lunges across the room, trying to get away from her captor and out of his range of sight.

"I swear I did not know she was yours, she lied to me, she lied!" The woman that had previously been so kind is screaming, her shrill voice piercing the ears of Wilykit and making it easy to spot her in the wreckage. The wolf has her pinned against the wall, his white-gloved fingers around her throat and lifting her off the ground. The woman's feet kick in the air desperately as she pleads for forgiveness.

"No!" Wilykit screams, throwing herself against him and pounding his armored back, trying to claw at his skin and oh he was going to kill her if she didn't do anything she was going to die. "Don't kill her!"

The wolf snarls and with one easy _squeeze_, the woman's neck snaps. He carelessly tosses her lifeless body to the ground and turns to Wilykit , who is screaming in terror at the woman's body (so simple, so easy, and she is dead). She turns hateful eyes on her escort and tries to hit him again, but he easily catches her wrist and sends her flying into the ground. His dark, deathly eyes flash and Wilykit backpedals across the floor, her back coming in contact with the wall and whimpering in fear.

"I should kill you where you sit!" The wolf growls, his body tense.

"Do it!" Wilykit snaps. "Do it like you killed her!"

"What I'm going to do to you is nothing compared to what the master has in store once he finds out what you did." He makes a crazed bark of a sound and reaches down – Wilykit flinches, thinking he would snap her throat as easily as he had the other, and wondering why she had been stupid enough to think he wouldn't and _this is it_ – but his fist instead buries itself into her hair, heaving her up and making her shout in pain. She grabs his wrist and tries to pull his fingers out of her hair, but he only swings his strong arm and throws her out the door, sending her flying into the busy street. Wilykit 's face connects with the path and she inhales some of the sick dirt, coughing and attempting to get to her feet. Before she can even pull herself to her knees, the wolf appears at her side and grabs her forearm.

Wilykit kicks out and screeches her hate for the man that drags her in the dirt behind him. She screams and cries and tries to claw and tear at his hands, but to no avail, only gaining much attention from the onlookers that passed them in the streets. He does not spare a glance at her, only silently dragging her in the dirt behind him, kicking up a little storm of dust in his wake. She had been so close, so close to freedom and getting away from all the death and _getting back to them._

When she is returned to Mumm Ra later, he is more amused than angry. And she realizes that the whole charade was a set up. He purposefully sent her with that wolf, knowing that she would run the first chance she had. She can see it in his sick and twisted smile.

As punishment, he orders her stripped and for a little girl of only twelve, it is the worst thing he could have done to her. She fights and struggles but in the end his guards succeed, watching her with sick, leering eyes. At the end she cries and wets herself from utter fear and shame. Mumm Ra laughs at her then, jeering at her with cruel words. He then proceeds to beat her to within an inch of her young life. He takes great pleasure in it too, laughing manically the entire time.

When he finished, she remembers the guards throwing her into a small, dark cell, where she stayed for three days and nights. No food. No water. A living corpse, the shell of a traumatized little girl, left to rot in her own blood and waste.

The very memory makes her sick, makes her want to run screaming. To lock herself away from the world and all its cruelties.

She jumps harshly at the feeling of someone touching her shoulder and she turns to find Lion-O sitting beside her. He's not wearing his breastplate or shin guards and she vaguely wonders if he's about to retire for the night. He looks worried for her and she doesn't understand why. It makes her uncomfortable. She barely remembers him and yet he only saw her as she was ten years ago, only yesterday.

She restrains from breathing a sigh of relief when he removes his hand from her shoulder. She finds that she can't deal with any contact anymore. Lion-O watches her relax, shying away from him and he feels a twitch of pain. Only yesterday the girl had run into his arms at the very prospect of his being alive. Now, she couldn't even look at him for very long.

"You Ok Kit? You've been staring into that fire for a while now."

She stares at him like he's crazy. Why would there be a fire, it's too hot in this place. An endless desert of heat and sand and…

She looks around.

Snow covers the ground and white mountains spring up all around them. Its night and she wrapped in a thick parka to shield her scantily clad form from prying eyes as well as from the cold. She hadn't even noticed when it had slipped off her shoulders to pool around her waist or when the frost had begun to cling to the tips of her hair. She doesn't even feel cold, she doesn't feel anything anymore.

And the worst part about it is she knows she's crazy because she can't even distinguish between what is and what was. She turns back to him, catching him looking grimly at the scars and still too fresh wounds that litter over various parts of her body. Almost bashfully, she brings the parka back up over her shoulders and turns her eyes back to the fire.

"I'm Ok. Still adjusting…"

He nods slightly and turns to the fire himself. He does not miss the criss-crossed lashes that seemed to decorate her back, either, scarring her skin permanently. Wilykit 's back is so decorated with thin white scars that it appears she had been whipped a good amount of times, and Lion-o wonders why. Neither does he miss how unhealthy she appears. She is emaciated; her cheeks sunken in, her clothes hanging loosely on her body, her collar bone sticking out like white marble.

"If you need anything…"

She laughs, short, cold and bitterly. It startles him and he turns to her again. To his surprise, she's smiling a genuine smile, but her eyes are so worn. "Believe me Lion-O, I have everything I could ever want now and more."

She's staring across the fire now, watching the others going about their business. Cheetara and Tygra snuggled together under a thick tree, seemingly asleep but she knows better. Panthro tinkering on the outer wall of the ship and her brother, her now baby brother, quietly helping him. They weren't as close as before. He'd tried to comfort her as much as he could but there was too much between them now. They were too different now.

"Kit, talk to me." Lion-O whispers gently. She hasn't told them anything about her time in the pocket dimension besides just how long she was there.

The firelight casts a warm glow on her face and it's the warmest she's looked all evening, both figuratively and literally. He thinks she very pretty then, with her golden eyes, though dim with emotion, sparkling in the light. He quickly pushes the thought away though, because no matter how much time passed for her, she is still only a child to him. He can't afford to think any other way.

"Lion-O, I…I can't." His face falls and he clenches his hands together in front of him. She has to swallow every instinctual nerve that's screaming at her to run but she lifts her own shaking hand to cover his. The contrast is so startling to her. She remembers when his hands were so very big compared to hers. Now, while still larger than her own, are not so big anymore. Her fingers can almost wrap around half of both of his together. She tucks the thought away however as he looks at her surprised.

"I wish I could but…I…I need time." He's listening intently, a frown bending the edges of his mouth and she has to look away. "There are things that I will never tell you, that I will never tell anyone. Things that I cannot even bear remembering myself." She prides herself in not jumping up and running when one of his hands pry loose to wrap warm fingers comfortingly around her own. She knows he's trying to help but still…she's still so afraid. Afraid it's all a mirage, a dream, a new trick from Mumm Ra to get her guard down. Her eyes shoot to his swollen, red cheek and she reassures herself that the claw marks are still there.

She smiles only slightly, so much so he barely catches it, then she pulls away. "I'm trying."

His response is to grin at her with a calm acceptance. Like a disappointed child who has been told he has to wait for his favorite desert until he's eaten his vegetables.

"I know you are."

When he gets up to leave, she prides herself in knowing she doesn't feel as relieved as she would have ten minutes ago.

* * *

Wilykit leans back and closes her eyes, letting the water wash away the dirtiness that seems to stick to her skin and won't go away. It is always there, clinging to her like a disease that has no cure and she just wants to be clean for once, just wants to be clean like she was before.

She steps out of the shower and wraps a plush towel around her body (oh how she's missed this) and sighs as she stares at herself in the vanity of her bathroom, running her fingers through her limp, lifeless hair. Her skin and fur is slowly regaining the healthy flush of color. Her bones no longer poke through her skin like needles and her hair has regained a nice healthy sheen. Three meals a day and a shower every night has helped a bit, but not nearly as much as Wilykit would like. She shrugs helplessly and walks bare-footed to her room, relishing the coldness of the tiles underneath her feet.

She opens the door to her quarters to get a change of clothes –

And promptly screams when she comes face-to-face with none other than the dark green eyes of Lion-O.

It has been a month since her return and a week since she has stepped foot outside her room, and she has not had any contact with any of her friends since, except for when WileyKat brings her food to her in the evenings and Lion-O's occasional pop-ins to check on her. She prefers solitude. She prefers the silence at least for a little while. She's still adjusting. She explained as much to her friends on that first day. But his majesty doesn't comprehend this fact as he has made it routine to visit her at least once a day, every day since.

"I'm naked, you jerk!" All manner of fear and possible quietness flies out the window as Wilykit realizes the state of her undress – thank Thundera she stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around herself. Lion-O just smiles slightly, leaning back against the door to her room with his arms crossed over his chest and a lazy predatory gaze set on her.

His eyes do not stray from her face. Damned self-control.

"Your point?" He asks, and if Wilykit did not know better, she'd say he sounded almost playful.

"My point?" Wilykit shrieks, stubbornness refusing to let her turn around and flee, so she steps around him and towards her dresser, turning to glare at him again. "My point is that where _I _come from, we are civilized and we do not barge in on people when they are in the nude! It's indecent!"

For a moment, she almost feels indifferent. After all, in the other world, (a phrase she's become fond of associating with the place she was trapped in) she was often forced to walk around covered in fabric less concealing than the plush towel she wore now. But… still, this was _Lion-o_. She can't help but remember the small crush she developed for him as a child. Faded with time of course, but still, as she hazards a small glance at him as she passes, she can't conceal the small blush.

Well," says Lion-O, unfolding his arms and taking a step towards her, "in Thundera, nudity was not a problem. We are not embarrassed at our bodies; it is our natural states." He likes playing with her like this. She's been so depressed lately, so absolutely lost. He can't explain it, but he hates when she's like this. That first night, he caught a little glimpse of her happiness. He wants to see more of that, more of that spirit. That is why he is unable to leave her alone like the others. He knows for sure that if he does, she will only spiral further and further away. He has to pull her back.

"You're such a liar," Wilykit hisses, fishing in her drawer and coming up with a pair of shorts, and in an entirely ungraceful way tries to slip them on without letting the towel show anything indecent. She's suddenly very grateful to Cheetara for visiting the nearest village to buy her some clothes. At least now she doesn't have to parade around in front of him wearing nothing but a few scraps of black fabric and gold ringlets. "I may not have lived in the palace, but I did live in the city for a time and I never saw such a thing. You just want to come in and get a nice little peep show – "

And suddenly he is _there_, he is standing inches from her and his eyes finally break away from her face to rove over her body with absolutely no reserve, but it is not in the same way that Mumm Ra did it, there is so much more heat and fire and Wilykit is not entirely sure what to think –

She _would_ have to play that game. It doesn't exactly help that he is sexually attracted to her, either. She's so feisty and fun at the same time. Not to mention beautiful. He thought she was cute as a child. A sweet little girl with a cute smile for getting whatever she wanted. Man, did she grow up fast. Literally.

Lion-O smirks playfully, he wants to tease her more. "You need more exercise."

Wilykit splutters in an undignified manner and her face begins to redden. "How dare – I'll have you know you can see my _ribs _– fat, fat my ass – "

"Yes, your ass is rather fat, but enough of this discussion – "

"FUCK YOU!"

"Sorry, kiddo, you're a little too young for me – "

She pauses confused for a moment then her lips twitch with the hint of a smile. "Too yo…I'll have you know your majesty, I am Twenty-Two; just two years your junior!"

He smiles and nods with conviction. "Yes, a mere kitten compared to me."

"You are the most vulgar, arrogant, conceited man I have _ever_ met, not to mention disgustingly hideous –"

"Hideous, am I? Is that why you care so much on what I think of your appearance?"

"Your ego is _astounding_! I am a _woman_ – "

"Are you?"

" – and women tend to care about what men think – "

"Do they?"

"Ugh, I think I'll run away just to escape you're almighty presence!"

"Please do, it will spare me the annoyance of having to babysit your sorry ass."

"_I can take care of myself! _And may I remind you,_ I _saved _your_ sorry ass at the cost of my own, you prick! So I think you owe me!"

By now the two are so close to each other that their noses are almost touching. Wilykit has pulled on some shorts but abandoned the task of pulling over a shirt, still holding the towel against her, her face red from screaming while Lion-O is just smiling, his face passive and his arms crossed over his chest.

"I suppose I do, don't I?" Lion-O finally admits after a long silence, his voice soft and low and Wilykit can even feel his breath on her face. It's a constant inner battle within himself that he's been fighting ever since she returned. She's so different now and he can't decide whether or not that's a good or bad thing. Part of him wants to treat her like the little girl she was before and the other part, the part he's fighting with, wants to tease her, be near her, to make her happy. Part of him _wants_ to flirt with her, see where it might lead. But, (and this thought always presents itself whenever he begins to have these feelings) wouldn't it be wrong? Wouldn't that make him a bad person? He can't decide.

He suddenly feels very warm in his chest, a feeling that he first felt with Cheetara. He knows this feeling, knows the beginning stirrings of feelings for her. He pushes them aside, shutting them out to be pondered on later. Right now, he's managed to break her out of her protective shell. She's let out some of that spark she had as a child and he's going to relish it.

The playful smile falls from her face and she suddenly feels very self-conscious and his grin falls as she gently presses her knuckles into the soft blue fabric covering his stomach to push him away. The contact surprises her, she hadn't noticed he wasn't wearing his armor she was so used to it. Her head bows low and he can't see her expression. "Lion-O." She whispers reservedly. He knows he's crossed some sort of line and he sighs. It's back to square one again. He turns and begins to leave the room, but stops at the doorway and turns. "I'll be leaving with Tygra for a few days. We're going to scout ahead and see if we can't find a short-cut through the pass. So you'll have to fend for yourself while we're gone, which means it's time to get out of this room. I won't have you starve yourself while I'm not here to feed you." That last bit he says playfully, trying to goad her into arguing with him again.

Wilykit blinks in temporary confusion at the sudden change in topic, and before she can protest, Lion-O begins to speak again, slowly moving out of the room, "And by the way, I wasn't lying. In the Kingdom of Thundera, people really did walk around naked. At least they did in the palace." He smirks one last time and the door slams shut behind him.

Wilykit screams in agitation, ripping off her towel and throwing it on the ground before stomping over to the shirt she had previously pulled out before their screaming match. She wrestles it over her head and pouts as she loudly trudges to the door, swinging it open as furiously as she can and taking a step out of the room.

Tygra looks up at her, smiles, and waves as he strolls by her room. Wilykit screams in shock. Tygra is completely and utterly naked; his hair still damp from what must have been a shower.

Lion-O, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, grins and seems to have no problem with this nudity. "Point proven."

She crosses her arms over her chest and sticks out her tongue before her face cracks into a grin. And before she knows it, she's laying in the floor of the hall, holding her stomach as she laughs, long and hard for the first time in ten years. Tygra sputters indignantly thinking she's laughing at _him_ or more specifically, a certain part of him and glares at her.

"Just what is so damn funny?!"

This only prompts further laughter and Tygra storms down the hall, slamming the door to his room with a bang.

In the kitchen, Lion-O smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

There is the sound of grumbling, agitated mumbles of, "Where are they, I know I put them in here before we left…" followed by a large belch.

"Snarf! That was my last one!"

Wilykit stops swiveling on the rotating chair she is perched on and turns to look quizzically at her brother, who is sitting at the table one floor below them glaring at the little_ well, she doesn't exactly know what he is. Next to her, Cheetara is working at the controls of the ship. Wilykit likes to sit in here and watch how the ship works, sometimes, finding the technology fascinating. Such things were out of her reach in the pocket dimension; surprisingly everything was rather primitive there.

"What's wrong Kat?" She calls down to him, resting her chin in her palm as she watches them. Her brother turns to stare up at her with an adorable (now that's she's older, she suddenly realizes how cute he is) little pout painted on his face. He points accusingly at Snarf who watches them with a confused expression. "Snarf ate my secret stash of candyfruit!"

"Candyfruit!?" Panthro exclaims angrily. "You've been holding out on us, you little punk?"

Kit smiles as her brother turns away from them, throwing his hands in the air as he cries, "We're doomed! We'll all gonna starve!"

Cheetara sighs and stands to lean over the rail by Wilykit 's side. "Aren't you being a little over dramatic?"

Her brother turns to glare up at the cleric determinedly. "Dramatic? What if they never come back? What if we run out of food and we have to choose who gets eaten? What if…"

Panthro's hand crashes down on the tabletop interrupting the boy's rant and making him squeak in fear. Wilykit giggles softly at them.

"Enough already!"

Cheetara sighed irritably as she descends the steps towards them. Wilykit follows a second later and sits precariously on the edge of the table beside WileyKat.

"Kat, if you are so hungry, why don't you go get some food for yourself?" Cheetara asks.

Kat shrinks away at this prospect and licks the back on his hand innocently. Kit smiles, she knows this little trick. "She's right, Kat. It's about time you learned to hunt. You have to learn to take care of yourself. You can't rely on others for the rest of your life."

He pouts at her. "But what about you?"

Her smiled vanishes and the room suddenly is filled with an uncomfortable silence. She manages to paste on a fake smile for the sake of her brother and says softly, "I've already learned."

Panthro coughs, breaking the silence and smiles. "It's a good idea. It'll be men vs. women. Whoever brings back less meat has to cook."

Cheetara grins cockily. "You're on! I can't wait to see you slaving over a hot fire." From the corner of her eye, Wilykit sees her brother groan as they emerge into the cold.

She smiles and wishes she could be like him again.

* * *

Cheetara takes the glinka fruit and cracks it open to reveal the slick, rancid, green gelatin substance inside. She gently dips her fingers into the goop and begins smearing small amounts on her face and arms. Wilykit just watches somewhat amused and disgusted at the same time. "What are you doing?"

"The pulp of this fruit will mask our scent, keeping us undetected from the prey." She says with a gently smile.

Wilykit scoffs to cover her giggle and pinches her nose. "Well, it makes you smell like Panthro!"

The other woman smirks at her as she hands over the fruit, brushing her fingers off on her pants to remove the rest of the goop. "Sometimes we have to do something we don't like to survive." She pauses a breath as she realizes her mistake as Wilykit 's eyes narrow slightly and doesn't know whether to apologize or simply play it off.

She doesn't have to do either. "Oh, I know." She says a little too chipperly and Cheetara frowns in concern. Although she's not as withdrawn as before, she still has these small moments of subtle hostility that shows in her rigid posture and cold eyes. Like she's about to attack without warning and Cheetara stiffens on instinct. They are about evenly matched as far as physical strength goes; she's not sure she could easily take her like Lion-O had if she suddenly decides to snap again.

All of these concerns are thrown out the proverbial window however as Wilykit sighs playfully and drops the fruit to the ground earning an elegantly, if not somewhat annoyed arched brow from the cheetess. "Or, you could do it the easy way…" Her grin is somewhat…feral. Cheetara crosses her arms irritably. "I don't follow you."

"Well, there are two of us…"

Realization dawns and soon Cheetara is returning her smile. She's used to hunting alone, so the thought never even crossed her mind. This girl, the new Kit, she's smart. Cheetara likes it.

* * *

"Lesson one: Before you can take down your prey, you gotta find it. That means learning to track." Panthro explains as his prodigy follows obediently behind. His eyes scan the ground around him until they alight on a trail of v shaped hoof prints deep in the soft mud. He grins. "Here we go."

WileyKat bends down to observe them and laughs. "Ha! Those are nothing! Take a look at these." He exclaims pointing to another pair of broad flat tracks a short distance away. "They're huge!"

His eyes follow the trail to the end of Panthro's feet then rise bashfully to meet his glare. "Those are my tracks." He grumbles. WileyKat laughs softly to himself as his hand rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "I knew that." Though the look on his face clearly states he didn't.

Panthro sighs and shakes his head. "Maybe tracking is too advanced. Let's start simple." He says, ripping a couple of vines from a nearby tree. He tosses them to WileyKat who, when he catches them, stares at them skeptically. "Traps."

He frowns. "Why do we even have to do this?" He whines. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to go back to the ship and play, maybe try to spend some time with Kit and see if she'll open up a little more. She hasn't played her flute since she got back. Maybe she lost it? He should make her a new one.

"Because one day you'll be out here alone." Panthro's voice shakes him from his thoughts. "Cold, helpless, starving, no weapons. You need to learn to survive with just your wits."

A sudden thought strikes him and he frowns as the vines sag in his hands. "Like Kit?" He says softly.

Panthro pauses as he's tying a long vine around a large tree limb he's plunged into the ground. He glances at the frowning boy and notices the tears gathering in his eyes. Panthro sighs and steps towards him.

"No, not like Kit. She had to learn by herself. Luckily, you got me here to teach you." He's rewarded with a small smile from the boy.

"Now," Panthro says breaking the peaceful silence that had enveloped them. "Get over here and help me."

WileyKat smiles and nods.

* * *

The pig/lizard hybrid roots quietly at the ground in an open field, between the surrounding forest and a small stream. It's large, bigger than Panthro, Tygra and Lion-O combined. Two smaller of its kind are taking a drink from the nearby stream. It's pack, more than likely, which would make the larger one alpha. Cheetara hunkers down in the tall grass, her golden coat a natural camouflage in the dead weeds. Trained, predatory eyes alight on her prey while her ears twitch lightly for any hint of sound. She rolls her shoulders as she readies for the moment when she can pounce at the beast. He stops suddenly, and makes a grunting sound at the other two. They reply back in the same fashion before heading off into the forest.

Cheetara knows these animals. They are called Zindikai. They travel in groups with a single male as head honcho and often several females as followers.

The Zindikai turns his back as he watches the others go and once they are gone, this is when Cheetara springs. She does not openly attack him however, but uses her staff to strike at the ground dangerously close to it. The Zindikai shrieks in response and takes off at a quick sprint into the woods, opposite of where his pack had gone.

Cheetara gives chase, occasionally slapping at his heels with her staff to send it into the direction she wants. Finally, it crashes through a copse of trees where a steep, snowy mountain blocks his further escape. It slides to a stop before he hits the mountainside and turns back to Cheetara, who is standing idly by the tree line. In a moment of clarity, the beast realizes the unintimidating size of his pursuer and attempts to charge at her. Cheetara's eyes flicker to a small cluster of bushes lining the side of the mountain about twelve feet up. They rustle slightly as the beast turns and suddenly a flash of tan and red shoots from within. There is a horrible, gut wrenching scream as Wilykit pounces on his back. Her claws dig into the back of his neck while her left arm reaches around to slice with acute precision across his throat efficiently silencing his screams. Blood sprays both up and down as the great beast wobbles then falls first to his forelegs then crashes to the ground as his back legs give way. She sits there for a moment, simply staring blankly at it. Wilykit lifts her arms and stares at her bloody hands for a long moment, then clenches them into fists.

Cheetara has to fight the sudden ill feeling she feels in her stomach as Wilykit stands from her position on his shoulders, with a triumphant smile. She's covered from neck to knees in blood and her eyes are almost glowing with a feral sort of gleam. Bright gold with dark slitted pupils. She casually whips her hair behind her and grins, her fangs seeming longer and sharper than Cheetara recalled.

"That's how it's done. But hey, if you want to stick to your staff, that's fine by me. _I_ much rather prefer to use my natural weapons." She laughs a bit too coldly and _licks_ her claws to clean them of the mess they've created all the while keeping her cold calculating gaze on the cheetess. Cheetara knows it wouldn't be wise to approach her right now. Knows it wouldn't be wise to do anything but stand there. She's having one of her moments. One where her sanity is teetering on the brink of the abyss and unfortunately for Cheetara, Lion-O isn't here right now if she happens to fall. She can only see the look in her eyes, the look of cruel humor mixed with defiance and laced with a craze that reminds her of Mumm Ra. Wilykit reminds her of Mumm Ra.

She's struck at the sheer brutality of this hunt. So, primitive and bloodthirsty.

_Is it too late? _She thinks._ Is it too late to save her? Have we already lost her before we even found her again?_

She's suddenly realizing that she might not like this new Kit as much as she first thought.

* * *

Panthro is shocked by their kill. Shocked that the two of them could even take down prey that size. _But it wasn't actually the two of us that took it down was it?_ But Cheetara does not voice this thought and simply smirks at the small bag in WileyKat's hands.

"I see you didn't do any better." She says.

He huffs and crosses his thick arms in a rather amusing pout. "Humph, stupid kid can't hunt to save his life. We manage to lure the prey to the trap and he scares it off, getting me caught in the process!"

Cheetara snickers and smiles at Kat who is glaring at Panthro. "Yeah, but we still found food!" He says opening the bag to reveal a plethora of plump red fruit. He pauses and looks around curiously. "Where's Kit?"

Cheetara frowns slightly catching Panthro's attention. "She's…"

"I'm right here."

They all turn to find Wilykit emerging from the tree line with a smile. She's wet and thankfully, cleaned of the blood. Cheetara imagines she took a bath in the stream not wanting to scare her brother upon her return.

"What happened to you?" Panthro asks, shocked at her appearance.

She blushes prettily (Cheetara's amazed by her acting skills, another secret uncovered about this new Kit) and smiles as she rings out her hair. "Oh, I was looking for some fish to go with our meal when I fell in the stream."

Her smile is so bright and the lie is so convincing that Cheetara almost believes it herself. The girl had said she had something to do before they parted ways. But Cheetara knows better. Knows that this girl is a skilled huntress and would not hunt more food than required. Because their prey is so large, it wouldn't be too much to say they would be stocked up for at least a week.

"Why even bother? This thing will last a week!" Panthro exclaims and Wilykit grins.

"How did you even catch that thing?" WileyKat asks in awe.

She smiles and reaches up to pat the beast's side almost fondly. "Oh, I didn't really do all that much. Cheetara did most of the work; I only helped her take it down." The subtle look in her eyes as she meets Cheetara's questioning gaze books for no argument. Cheetara frowns and has to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything.

Why is she keeping secrets?

What is she trying to hide?

Panthro scoffs and points to WileyKat who is staring at his sister in adoration. "Yeah, well whatever you two did, it paid off. Next time _you two_ will take junior for his hunting lesson."

Cheetara breaks in then, not willing to keep her mouth shut any longer. A child certainly doesn't need to witness what she herself did today. "I don't think…"

But Wilykit cuts her off. "That's fine, but maybe he would feel more comfortable hunting with the men. How about we wait until Tygra and Lion-O get back?"

Panthro pauses at the sudden tense feeling in the air and looks skeptically between the two women. One wears an innocent smile while the other looks like she's torn between being sick and screaming.

"Suuurrreee…." He says. "I guess that's fine."

With that, they leave the carcass of the beast outside the ship and head inside for materials to cook it. Wilykit turns and smiles at them. "Oh, and I believe the agreement was whoever brought back less meat has to cook…_Paannnthroooo."_ The larger cat groans and rubs hand over his face in agitation. Kat giggles at his sister and the two disappear into the ship.

"Next time, you get the kid." Panthro sighs.

For a moment Cheetara is silent. "I'm not so sure you want that."

She says nothing else but the look she gives him sends Panthro into a grim silence. "We'll talk later." He says and she nods before she too enters the ship.

* * *

"I'm telling you Lion-O, she ripped into that Zindikai like a wild animal. There's something wrong with her, something far deeper than we think."

Wilykit listens from behind the bulk of one of the ships engines far above them. It's dark, with only one of the planets three moons in full shine. Luckily for her, it happens to be the smallest one, so she remains invisible to the three cats nestled around a fire below. She frowns and feels a knot growing in her chest. Her fists clench at her sides, claws biting into her flesh. She's careful not to cut herself though, lest the scent of blood reveal her.

Lion-O scoffs and takes a bite out of his meal, (the meat of the Zindikai tastes particularly well when roasted over an open fire). "Cheetara, be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable, you weren't there! It's like she was a whole different person!" Cheetara argues.

Beside her, Tygra frowns. "Maybe we should start keeping a strict eye on her…just in case…"

Lion-O has had enough. He slams his plate to the ground beside him, scattering the half-eaten meal across the snow. "Just in case what? Listen to what you're saying! You want to put her on lock down just because she had a little lapse in judgment? She just spent _ten years_ as Mumm Ra's personal toy! You'd be a little crazy too! In fact I think she's doing a hell'uva lot better than any of us would if _we_ were placed in her position!"

Kit bites her lip as he defends her. She knows she doesn't deserve it. She knows she's caused nothing but trouble since she came back. It's no wonder her friends are concerned. She thinks back to the hunt. Thinks of the beast hunkered below her as she crouched on the mountain side. She remembers the blood rushing in her ears and the exhilarated feeling of the hunt circling around her spine. She remembers feeling the warm blood flowing over her claws, in her mouth, and she _enjoyed_ it!

Suddenly, she feels very cold and very numb. She can only imagine how scared Cheetara must have been seeing her like that. But she can't help it. It's how she learned.

Once, when she was fifteen, she had finally been able to escape from Mumm Ra. She looked everywhere and saw no escape into her own world, so, she hid herself away in the wilderness. Instinct took over her young body and for three months she managed to survive on her own. She lived as if she were the very beasts she hunted. She learned quickly to track, to fashion weapons as well as use her own. For in this primitive world, it was kill or be killed. One had to learn quickly, or die. And, no matter how bad it got, no matter how horrible her life had become, Wilykit was determined to live and see her friends again.

When Mumm Ra found her again, she was ready for him. She was ready for the beatings and the harsh words. She fought like a caged animal and more often than not, beat his guards like they were toy soldiers. She knocked them down one by one until she was tranquilized and thrown into her cell for days.

At first, it had amused him, that she had grown such a fiery spirit in the time of her escape but then later, when he'd grown tired of her wild ways, Mumm Ra had begun looking for ways to break her spirit. It was the first time he'd ordered his men to rape her.

He said,( and she would remember those words until the day she died) "If you can't break her with brute strength, then take her sanity from her. Take that which is most precious."

She can't bear to remember more. She can't bear to remember the large, stinking dog that pinned her down, that crawled on top of her as she kicked and screamed, bit and clawed with all her might.

She places her hands over her head and buries her face in her knees as the memories come anyway, and she can't fight them off. She is crazy. She's crazy and bloodthirsty and want's nothing more than vengeance for the wrongs done to her.

Her friends, no matter how much she loves them, can't understand that. Her eyes find Lion-O's form down below.

But maybe he does.

He lost his father, his home, his entire kingdom, all in the span of a day. All to the hands of Mumm Ra. He must understand. He's the only one who could at this point.

"That's not what we're saying, Lion-O." Tygra says trying to calm his brother.

"Then what are you saying, because it sure sounds like it!"

"She's dangerous Lion-O…"

"And you're not?" He yells at Cheetara, pointing a claw in her face from across the fire. "He's not? _He_ tried to kill me! Did he tell you that? In the Astral Plane, you remember Tygra? When you tried to rip my head off? Or how about when you dumped me into that hole when we were kids?"

Cheetara glances to Tygra in shock who can only stare at his brother in grim silence. "Lion-O, you know that was Mumm Ra…"

"…acting on _your_ inner feelings. And you…" He says, pointing to Cheetara who glares at him. "_You_ sent me every signal in the book that you liked me, and then all but ripped my heart out of my chest with your bare claws. _So no!_ I don't want to hear _anything_ about her being dangerous from you two! Not when you're both just as bad!"

"SHE'S NOT FUCKING STABLE!" Cheetara explodes making Tygra jump beside her. He's never seen this side of her before, never seen her this angry. But everything, all this has been piling up between them and now with Kit added into the fray, it suddenly becomes too much.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TREAT HER LIKE SOME ANIMAL! LIKE MUMM RA DID…!" Lion-O explodes right back at her, near stepping into the fire; he's leaning so far over it.

"SHE'S JUST LIKE HIM!"

All the sudden, everything freezes. Lion-O stops to stare at her like she's grown a second head and Tygra stands to pull her back from his brother who he's sure is about to leap over the fire and throttle her.

Wilykit raises her head and a gasp tears loose from her throat.

No.

No, it can't be.

She's wrong.

_She's wrong!_

Lion-O carefully steps around the fire and his green eyes glow dangerously from its light. Tygra pushes Cheetara behind him and glares at his brother. "Lion-O…"

"Take that back." His voice is deadly calm and Cheetara wants to. She wants to take it all back and pretend it never happened but it's too late now. This has to be said before it's too late.

"You have to face the truth, Lion-o. And the truth is that we may not be able to help her. Not after this, not after what she's been through. You. Are. The King. It's your responsibility to look after the well-being of your people."

"She isn't one of my people? She deserves just as much attention as the rest, if not more because of her instability. She is _not _a liability. In fact, she probably wants revenge against that monster more than any of us!" He argues, his eyes glinting in the firelight.

"And if she has to go through us to get it? I saw her eyes; they were not the eyes of a child, Lion-O, but those of a trained killer." Lion-o sighs (a sound eerily similar to a snarl) and rubs his temples; this shit is getting unbearable. If he has to deal with Cheetara's self-righteous bullshit for much longer…

"You know I'm right. She's been with him so long, that she's slowly begun to turn into him. Everything he's done to her, everything he's put her through, has changed her into just what he's always wanted. He's made her the perfect weapon against us." She says slowly. Lion-O's face scrunches into a fierce glare, primal, animalistic like _hers_. Cheetara and Tygra both frown.

"Stop it!" He says lowly.

"The moment we turn our back…"

"_Cheetara_…" He's growling now and unconsciously, Tygra reaches for his whip.

"…she'll destroy us all and go running back to him."

Kit presses her hands tightly against her ears, her eyes squeeze shut and she's coiling further and further in on herself to block out the cheetess' words but they just keep coming. But Wilykit cannot hate them. She just can't.

She feels as if she has betrayed her friends.

In one simple, little act of bravery (or was if foolishness?) when she threw herself in front of her hero, she opened up a door. A door that would lead the most ruthless, vile, despicable monster this world has ever known straight to them. And she, she is that door.

A single tear rolls down her cheek. Wilykit has changed. She is tainted. She is a monster.

She can't hate them, but deep down, she wants to.

"Like a. Perfect. Little. Soldier." Cheetara finishes and Lion-O snaps.

_"SHUT UP!" _

His hand shoots forward, intent on grabbing her, on silencing her. He doesn't know where this rage is coming from. He can't understand why he's so protective of her. Maybe it's because she was just a child when it happened. Maybe it's because, when he died, _she_ was the only one to believe he would come back. _She_ was the only one to believe in him. Maybe, it's because all of this happened because _she _was the _only one_ to step up and defend him. _She_ stepped up and _she saved him_. If it had not been for her, it would have been _him _in_ her place_. _He_ would be the one who's crazy. The one who's slowly slipping away into darkness. The one who everyone is afraid will turn on them. Maybe because, he knows that if the roles were reversed, she'd be doing the same for him right now.

Maybe it's because, he knows, deep down, that all of this is _his fault_. If he'd only grabbed her when he had the chance…

"Lion-O, stop!"

He freezes, his claws inches from Cheetara and Tygra's equally shocked faces. That voice came from neither of them and slowly, squeezing his eyes shut in pain as he lowers his arm (because he knows she heard every word,) he turns and gazes up at the top of the ship.

She's standing there, her hair blowing gently in the wind and her expression so full of pain and self-loathing he can't help but feel something inside him break at the sight of it.

"Kit! It isn't what you think…" He tries but it's too late. He sees it in her eye and _oh how did this all get so fucked up?_

"No Lion-O." She calls down to them and her voice is stern, cold, hateful, despite the pain in her expression and Cheetara's face drains of all color. In one terrific leap every bit accounted to her feline nature, she lands silently in front of the Cheetess, who stands frozen in place.

No one moves and her golden eyes are like shards of glass as they bore into the other woman's eyes.

"Your right, I am unstable. And I am _dangerous_." She stops, and her fingers reach out to brush lightly against the other woman's throat almost thoughtfully. Everyone holds their breath and Tygra stiffens ready to push her away if he must. Wilykit watches her claws absently before she locks gazes with her again. "But about that last part, you're _wrong_…" She whispers lowly. Subtly, her fingers twine around the woman's neck and Cheetara's hand comes up instinctively to grab the girl's wrist. She only smiles that feral grin again and leans closer. Her grip tightens only slightly but the threat is clear.

"If you ever refer to me as his soldier again…I _will kill you_."

Cheetara's eyes narrow but the hint of fear is still there, a faint shadow behind them.

Wilykit releases her when Lion-O gently grabs her shoulder and pulls her around the fire. He doesn't know what she said, but from the looks on both of his companions faces, it isn't good. He whispers softly to her and Tygra and Cheetara can't hear what he's saying. They are sure it's words of comfort or something of the sort. She doesn't look like she's even registered he's there. He has one arm around her shoulder, his other hand holding her wrist as he guides her back into the ship.

They disappear inside, leaving their companions frozen in the dark.

Lion-o leads her to her room and sees her inside. She hasn't said anything to him yet, though he's tried to reassure her that she's safe with him at least. He is the king after all. They have no choice but to listen to him. He won't see her placed under guard like some common… well you know. He stutters; he doesn't want to even mention the word slave after tonight.

They're standing just inside her door and finally, she looks at him. And he sighs. She looks so lost and lonely. He sees a spark of the frightened little girl from before and very slowly, very gently takes her into his arms and breaths into her hair. He feels her stiffen; because this is the first time he's really touched her since that day.

"You're not crazy. And you're not dangerous. Not to me." She doesn't say anything and he squeezes tighter if only to try and get her to respond, push him away, scream, cry…anything.

"We'll get through this Kit."

Finally, she hears him. Finally, the buzzing in her head from what she's just done stops.

_We'll get through this_.

_We_.

Not _you_.

She allows the faintest of smiles to cross her face and she surprisingly returns his embrace. He jumps slightly and she pulls away to stare up at him warmly. He can't read her expression. The color of her eyes has darkened and he can't see her thoughts within them. He's scared she's doing it again. Keeping all that rage and hurt and emotion pent up inside, to boil and fester, until it slowly consumes her.

She's full of surprises tonight, he thinks, as she leans up and kisses his cheek lightly. Like a sister would a brother or father, but he doesn't think like that. It doesn't feel like that.

Something is buzzing in the back of his mind. A warning bell that he doesn't pay attention to.

She's silent for a moment, simply watching him and he's at a loss for words.

"Thank you." She whispers. "Thank you Lion-o…so much."

"Kit…"

This feels off, feels wrong.

Feels like goodbye.

She must sense his train of thought because her smile falters then returns full force, fake, but convincing. "Goodnight and sweet dreams." She beams and he's thrown by the innocent phrase she used as a child. The warnings are there, but in his desperate attempt at making everything right, he ignores them and smiles back.

Gently, slowly so as not to startle her, he leans down and returns her kiss to her own cheek, lingering a moment until he hears her breath hitch in her throat. His nose brushes her ear as he tilts his head and whispers, "Sweet dreams, Kit."

All too quickly, he's gone from her side, taking that warmth with him. Kit closes the door and for a long time, leans back against it, her head tilting back to stare blankly at the ceiling. She closes her eyes and with a shuddering sigh, sinks to the floor.

When Lion-o wakes the next morning and goes to wake her for breakfast, his heart skids to a screeching halt and it's not long before he's running around screaming at every and anyone who crosses his path.

She's gone.

Wilykit is gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Wilykit wonders if she is cursed.

Or simply stupid.

Either way she can't understand or even begin to fathom how she manages to get herself into these situations. Trouble follows her like the plague, always ready to latch on and drag her down. She's really getting tired of this shit.

She rolls in the dirt in a headlong summersault to avoid the large battle axe aimed for her head and is up again in an instant. Her own sabre swings around and embeds into the thick neck of a huge, charging, black bull. The smell of copper fills her senses and her pupils thin to pinpricks. The roar of the arena deafens her and she watches as her opponent staggers and chokes on the copious amount of fluids that clog his lungs.

Unleashing a barbaric scream of her own, she rips the sword free and doesn't even bother to watch the bull fall. She doesn't have time to.

With lighting reflexes, she leaps into the air, narrowly avoiding a jabbing spear that would have found its way into her gut had she not moved in time. The smaller (though no less intimidating) pit bull stares at the empty space in confusion for only a second but it's enough time for her to toss the sabre aside and unsheathe the small dagger from her thigh.

As she comes down on his back, she plunges the blade into his artery and pulls. There's an audible whine as the dog topples forward into the dirt. She jerks her blade free and disentangles herself from him before he hits, leaping and landing several feet away from the battered corpses.

She takes a moment to regain her breath and assesses her final and most challenging opponent. So far, he has yet to make a move, simply watching as she slaughtered the other two, awaiting his chance to strike.

He is neither dog nor bovine, but gorilla, which is far worse and in her experience, more dangerous. Scars litter his body from previous battles and his left eye watches her from behind a dead, glossy film. Unlike the other two, he wears no amour, save for the long, dirty, brown loin cloth to preserve his dignity, if he even has that.

"_Kill im'_!"

"Rip her _fucking_ head off!"

The shouts from their audience make her blood boil with the heat of battle and… something else. Regret? Resentment? Frustration? These are brave men. They don't back down. They don't run away. She grimaces. Which means that they will all die. Die alone, just as they fight alone. They think it proves their manhood, but in her opinion, all it proves is how foolish they are.

Wilykit thinks they are foolish. But then, anger coils in her gut because these men, foolish they may be, are in some ways better than her. After all… she _did _run away.

But they are the same too.

They will fight alone and die alone. And now (her fists clench tightly around the handle of her blade until her knuckles shine white) she will too. And like these men, Wilykit is foolish.

Her opponent gives her an almost imperceptible nod which she returns in kind. There is a pregnant pause and then suddenly he's charging her, his hammer raised high ready to crush her. But she is small and he is large. She has speed and dexterity on her side where as he as supreme strength. The hammer crashes into the dirt where she stood moments before she lunged away. The ground sprays upward creating a large dust cloud that blocks her view.

She can't see.

_Fuck._

She looks around anxiously and her breath suddenly leaves her in a heavy _whoosh_ as something hard and heavy collides with her stomach. Pain blossoms in her chest and she lands hard, sliding several feet before coming to a crashing halt against the arena wall. Her hand comes up to grab her left side where she knows several of her ribs have been bruised if not completely broken. But she sees no blood so she pushes the thought aside and her gaze shoots up.

A great black shadow is lunging at her, and she narrowly avoids the hammer that crashes into the wall, sending spidery cracks up its length. She's on her feet in seconds, running, zig-zagging around him. Lucky for her, his hammer is stuck, so now he is without a weapon.

Unluckily, he's just powerful enough to use his hands alone.

She sees an opening and forsaking her dagger which is too small to make a difference, she lunges, aiming her claws for the beast's throat and face. He is surprisingly agile and quick and just as her claws brush the fur of his throat, he flies backwards, bracing himself with his broad hands while both of his feet come airborne to catch her once more in the chest. Her arm sweeps down because of the blow, catching his broad scarred chest instead and leaves four, large, bloody gashes in its wake.

The impact leaves her breathless and she can't even scream from the agony of the blow. She flies back, her body twisting in the air until she lands, sliding on her face in the dirt. The roar of the crowd explodes around her but it is a low hum in her ears. Blood dribbles from her mouth into the dirt as she struggles to breathe. She shakily rises to her elbows, her breaths coming in harsh pants. One arm gives way under the pressure and she almost falls back into the dust. She lands on the elbow of that arm, catching herself.

It hurts so much. Too much, but she has to get up. She has to fight.

She has to live.

From the corner of her eye she sees the spear the pit bull wielded against her. It's just within reach.

Something tugs her hair and this time she does scream as she pulled up and turned to face the monster that's glaring at her with a savage look in his eye.

But not before she grabs the spear.

Thick, meaty fingers wrap around her throat and begin to squeeze. Tight, choking. Just a little more and he'll snap her neck. Her eyes close.

No.

This is her arena.

Her stage.

She's come too far now. She's survived far worse than this. Fought worse. She's _stronger_ than this.

And she will _not_ die here.

Not today.

And certainly not by this oaf's hands.

Her eyes snap open. A primal, animalistic scream tears from her throat and she shoves the spear forward and up. Her opponents grip releases and blood spurts from his mouth spraying her face and showering her in red. He falls back into the dirt and Wilykit collapses to her knees. She coughs, chokes, and spits.

Red sprays the ground and she stares stonily ahead. She sees nothing. Hears nothing but the pounding of her pulse within her ears. Hears their voices. Sees their faces.

_"Kit? Is it you?" _

**"**_Wilykit ,_** _look at me!"_**

_"It's me. I promise."_

_"She's **dangerous** Lion-O…" _

_"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TREAT HER LIKE SOME ANIMAL! LIKE MUMM RA DID…!" _

_"SHE'S JUST LIKE HIM!" _

**"**_Like a. Perfect. Little._** _Soldier_." **

**"**_You're not crazy. And you're not dangerous._** _Not to me_." **

_"We'll get through this Kit."_

Strong. She wants to be strong. Has to be strong. Like _him_.

Shaking she rises to her feet and approaches her fallen prey. Using the spear (which is still sticking out of the great, fallen giant) as a brace, she plants a foot on his chest and raises her fist to the crowd in victory.

The _lanista*_ stands from his seat high above the arena, he is a tall, black Doberman. He spreads his arms wide, gesturing to the crowd and shouts in a voice so loud and commanding that it draws even her attention.

"People of Dogvaria!" He says. "I give you, your undisputed _champion_! Wilykit , _She-Devil of Thundera!"_

Everyone in the audience stands, and the roar of their cries echoes over the land for miles. A stray wind blows through the arena sending her hair whipping around her head as she cries in victory, her fist still head high.

She is victorious.

She is _alive._

How does she get into these situations?

* * *

_Two Days Earlier…_

Wilykit doesn't like this town. It's a dirt town. Like the otherworld. Run down and poor with the world's entire population of scum and vagabonds living in one place. Well, maybe not entire, but most of them.

This town is filled to the brim with dogs of every shape and color. Occasionally she glimpses the rare hare or raccoon but otherwise she has seen nothing but dogs since coming here.

She doesn't have anything against dogs. She had several friends who were dogs in the slums of Thundera. They happen to make some of the best bone stew she's ever had. No, she doesn't have a problem with dogs, but since entering this village, she's received nothing but dark, curious looks and glares. She pulls her pack tighter around her and keeps her head down. She doesn't want to draw attention. All she needs is supplies and then she can high-tail it out of here. But first things first…

She bumps hard into the shoulder of a passing mutt, she's sure he's a mutt because from the look of him, she can't tell what sort of breed he is. A mix between a Dane and a Dotson? It doesn't matter, because she keeps her head low and mutters a quick apology as he growls low in his throat.

"Watch where you're going!"

She nods and he continues on his way. When he's out of sight, she disappears around the corner of a side building and inspects the coin purse she lifted from his pocket. It's not very heavy, only about half full but it'll get her something to eat and a change of clothes, maybe even a room for the night and a nice hot bath.

She sighs, she'll have to pick at least two more before she'll have the means of leaving for the next town. For a moment, she leans back against the wall and surveys the market. Stalls and vendors are scattered like rocks for several yards.

She doesn't know where to start.

She knows she needs clothes, food, and a weapon, something small and concealable. She'd love to be able to find a means for transportation, but in such a small place like this, she doubts they even have _Rory_. (**Large, horse like creatures used for riding as seen in Ep. 1 & 2 of Thundercats 2011. I just made up the name.**)

She doesn't mind walking, never has minded. However, this also means she'll have to travel light. No real food or means to cook it. She'll have to stock up on dried foods and provisions.

Absently, he head turns west, towards the village gate. The next town over is Vercilia, a week's journey by foot and nothing but dry flatlands and deep canyons between.

Wilykit sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose in agitation. She should have gone east, towards Tantooine. But the sun had already begun to rise by the time she'd set her mind on leaving and covered her tracks well, she hadn't particularly cared which direction she went. She just wanted to go.

Her gaze shifts upwards as a yelling salesman advertises his wares. He's selling clothes and fabric and Wilykit glances down at her own dirty dress and torn cloak. She decides this is as good a place as any to start.

The clothes he's selling are not rich silks or beautifully embellished cotton gowns. This is a poor town, so the only wares he has to offer are hard leather and course, cotton homespun. She chooses a soft red leather set. It consists of a sleeveless top that ends just below her breasts and laces with a black leather thong at both sides and the front. The bottoms are just two flaps of matching triangular leather and softer black fabric sewn between to serve as a type of undergarment. The same black leather laces around the edges of the 'skirt' creating a type of gladiator look. It shows a lot of skin, but she's learned to forgo such trivialities as bashfulness. It may be revealing, but allows for free range movement and relief from the stifling heat.

The man smiles as she pays him, a broad grin revealing too many teeth and he quickly pockets the money with a quick, "thank you, come again!"

She doesn't say anything and leaves to find a place to duck into so she can change.

* * *

Gone.

Simply vanished into thin air.

Such a thing shouldn't be possible but_ she_ manages to do it. He orders his team to search as far as a two mile radius around the entire camp and still, _still_ they find nothing. Not even a hint as to where she might have gone.

Lion-o growls in frustration and briefly wonders just _what_ Wilykit has become. What powers have granted her such skills?

He has to find her, needs to find her. Because he knows that they can't just leave everything hanging like this. There is nothing but blistering sun and desert ahead of them and he tries to envision where she might go, what she might do now. Certainly she will seek out Mumm Ra but how? How will she go about it? Will she charge in without thinking, blinded by vengeance or will she cunningly plan out an elaborate attack? His hands rake through his hair and he sighs, leaning back against the ship. He doesn't know. No one would or could know. Her mind is so complex and unpredictable…

She is unpredictable.

"Do you see now?" A voice asks him and he looks up. Cheetara is there and his blood boils. This is the first time she's approached him since last night and for very good reason. _This is your fault!_ Lion-O thinks.

But inside, he knows it's his too. He knew, when he'd left her last night, standing in her door, he knew something was wrong! But…

He _trusted _her.

He wanted to believe she would let him help her.

But he knows she is stubborn and far too independent for her own good. Now, nothing short of the gods will help him find her.

"See _what_?" He all but growls. Cheetara flinches subtly and he almost misses it. His ire cools, her heart is in the right place, he knows, but this, all of this, is wrong. She stares off into the distance for a moment, into the setting sun.

"She doesn't want our help, Lion-O. And we cannot help her." He is silent, contemplating her words.

"Do you remember the rage you felt after your father was killed?" She asks finally looking back to him. "Do you remember the beginning of our journey? You wanted nothing but vengeance on the man who took him from you. And you would have it, regardless of who you had to go through to get it."

He does remember. And part of that rage is still there, though quelled with the duties of a king.

"Lessons learned allowed you to defeat that rage and tame it into strength, strength that you use to fight. To win. She is the same as you."

His eyes meet hers, and they are clearer. He understands what she means now, but still, it hurts no less. Because he wants to help her. He wants to save her.

"There is a darkness inside that only she can conquer. We all have our demons, Lion-O. And the one Kit is facing now is strong."

She places a soothing hand on his arm and smiles slightly.

"And when she defeats it, she will be _stronger_."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…" He mutters. Fine then. He will stop his search and give her the space she needs. But their paths are bound to cross again (she is after all, after the same man as he) and when they do… Well, he'll face that when the time comes.

Cheetara smiles.

"Exactly."

* * *

This tavern is old; she can tell as she pushes the short swinging doors aside and enters. There's hardly anyone there, a stray dog in a booth at the back slams his mug down as she enters. She pays him no mind, despite the way he's glaring at her. The bar is empty so she sits there. Behind the bar, a young, yellow lab cleans glasses with a dirty rag.

"We only have 'All Kinds'," she says glancing over her shoulder, "It's a little of everything mixed together, but it packs a punch."

Wilykit drops a few shells and flat colored stones that serve as currency in this town on the bar top. "Keep it flowing then, and a bowl of bone stew if you have it."

The woman turns completely to her now and she reaches beneath the bar to procure a clay cup and set it before her.

"You passing through or staying?" She asks, taking a mesh wrapped bottle from the cupboard behind her and filling the cup. Behind her, the man in the booth grumbles something into his mug. Wilykit turns slightly and a hard stare silences him and he turns away.

The woman pauses at the exchange and frowns. "Passing through, I can tell."

Wilykit averts her gaze back to her and takes a sip from her drink. She's right, it is strong and sears all the way down her throat. But she's a strong drinker so she thinks it suits her. "Second sight or just the normal kind?" She asks quirking a brow at the woman. She shrugs, placing a slim hand against her hip and leans against the counter.

"I notice things; comes with the job."

Her brown eyes rake over Wilykit slowly, scrutinizing every detail and taking it in. Wilykit says nothing and sips her drink, her own eyes locked on the woman's face.

"You're a strong woman; you fear no man." She says suddenly eyeing the low and revealing cut of Wilykit 's clothes. She spies the dagger strapped to her thigh.

"You're a warrior."

Her eyes alight on the small spray of blood that has already begun to dry on her wrist. In the alley she ducked into to change her clothes, she had been spied upon by a peeping tom. She hadn't killed him, but he most certainly wouldn't wake up for several hours and he probably wouldn't have vision in that left eye of his again.

She sets her mug down again and the woman continues her observation.

"Or worse."

Wilykit is un-amused.

"And you've traveled many miles," She says after spotting the dirt clinging to her legs. "Perhaps to travel…or you're on the run…"

She stops at the cold stare she receives in response and steps away from the counter with raised hands. "Or I could be wrong!" She fumbles with the cast iron pot cooking over the stove and fills a bowl, setting in on a tray and adds several slices of bread. "Uh, here, have some bread with your stew, on the house!"

Wilykit doesn't say anything to her in response and enjoys her meal. Hopefully the woman will have sense enough to leave her alone.

The dog in the booth behind her is very drunk now, and suddenly, he stands and begins shouting loudly throughout the bar, drawing the attentions of the few occupants.

"Hail warrior! Hail to the fallen… Hail to the heroes… hail to the battles lost and won…"

"And hail to the mother and her dying son." Wilykit quips coldly to the man. She's slowly losing her patience with this town. He turns to glare at her once more and collapses back into his seat with a disgruntled, "Bah, _women_!"

"Sorry about that." The bar woman says and she turns back to her. "A lot of the men in this town were taken as slaves to fight for Mumm…"

Wilykit 's eyes flash and the dog behind her barks angrily, "Jessa! Shut up an' serve me you _worthless trollop_! An' don't ever speak his name again!"

Jessa says nothing and walks around the bar to serve the man. Wilykit stares unseeing into her stew. So, Mumm Ra's poison has seeped into this town as well? Is there no life left he hasn't ruined? That his vile hands have not corrupted?

In a fit of understanding, Kit turns and raises her cup to the man. He may be a callous drunk, but he too knows the horrors that is Mumm Ra. The man looks to her and with a solemn nod, raises his mug to her in kind.

Hours and several drinks later, she sits at her own table. Night has fallen and a dim candle burns behind her shining down on her and giving her hair a bloody hue. She tips a bottle back and finding it empty, slams it down on the table and motions for Jessa.

"More Jessa! …_Hic_… Bring me another!" This is her third now and Jessa nods from behind the bar and procures yet another bottle.

She chuckles as she gives it to her. "Thank you. If not for you, I would be out of work."

Wilykit takes it from her and grins as she takes a swig. "Don't …_hic_… count your blessings yet." She says and there is a dark gleam in her eyes. Jessa briefly wonders what it means.

This is the bottle that does her in. She lies passed out, sprawled over the table, her breaths coming slow and even with sleep.

Jessa stands behind her conversing with the dog that had caused so much ruckus that evening.

"I don't know, Marcus. She seems harmless enough." She says, her arms crossed as she stares down at the sleeping girl. Marcus sniffs and motions at her as he glares at Jessa. "Tch, _lookit_ her, Jessa! She's a _cat_, ain't nuthin harmless 'bout her!" He says.

Jessa says nothing but nods all the same. She remembers her brother who left for Thundera to find a better life, and make enough money that would get her out of this town. She remembers their dream of a better life. She remembers when he returned; beaten and malnourished, sick and dying.

She stares at the girl lying on her table and her heart hardens.

She's a cat and cats are worthless in her eyes.

Five men enter the tavern, circling around the defenseless girl. They take her weapons from her body and three of them climbed to the second story of the tavern; standing on the floor that over look her table. They carry bows and drawing their arrows they aim to kill her. She's just another, useless cat. She is the enemy.

There is a saying in Dogvaria, that of a warrior, "The storm is in his _soul_". _But she is drunk_, Jessa thinks, _the storm has died in her…_

And now she will die.

Or so they thought.

The arrows release with a 'z_zzip_' and suddenly Wilykit stands, startling everyone when she jerks the table up off the ground to use as a shield against the arrows. Empty bottles crash to the ground; Jessa screams and the two men still at the bottom charge her, swords drawn. She swings around, crashing the table into one and breaking a leg off the splintered wood, uses it to club the other in the head.

By now the other three have reached the bottom and Wilykit uses the man she just clubbed as a shield against their arrows. She tosses him aside and grabs the nearest attacker by the collar of his shirt with both hands, arching her back and swinging him over her head like he weighed no more than a sack of flour. He crashes into the wall and lays limp, blood pumping from a gash above his eye.

She vaults over another table beside her and uses it as a launch pad to send her kick sailing into the groin of the fourth man. He doubles over and she turns to the last one. He flies at her with fury, his sword raised high and a scream ripping through his throat. She evades his weapon, stepping close and uses her wrist to jab the elbow of the arm holding the sword. There is an audible snap and this time when he screams, it is from agony. He drops the sword and she grabs his head, pushing him down and flipping them so that she's straddling his back. There is a bucket of water on the ground, from where Jessa had been cleaning.

Wilykit pushes the man's face into the soapy water and waits for him to go still.

The man whose groin she kicked has recovered and has an arrow aimed at her. It releases and with lightning reflexes she evades it, bounding off the wall towards his frightened, prone figure. His shaky hands drop the bow as she lands on his shoulders, her legs twisting around his neck. As they fall back against the floor she moves her leg and his neck twists and snaps.

She's breathing hard and Jessa stands fearfully from behind the bar as Wilykit stands, blood staining her face and golden eyes glinting with fiery hate.

"Please, I had no choice! They made me do it!"

Wilykit approaches her slowly, and takes her dagger back from one of the corpse's meaty grip. Her fingers squeeze the hilt in a vice grip and a snarl rumbles from her chest. "You had a choice…"

She sees them for what they are and there is no mercy.

"No! No _please_!"

The doors slam open and several guards enter, one of them a tall black Doberman. "_What happened here!?" _He barks.

Jessa wastes no time as she points accusing fingers at Wilykit . "Her! She did it! She burst in here like a mad woman and killed everyone!"

Wilykit turns astonished eyes their way and the Doberman glares accusingly at her. "Arrest her!"

One guard grabs her arm before she can react and twists. Wilykit 's eyes shoot back to Jessa's smug smile and her other arm flies out… and her dagger flies with it, straight into Jessa's chest. The smile vanishes, replaced with a look of shock as blood flies from between her lips. She buckles, but not before she sees Wilykit 's own cold glare, watching her fall. The handle of the guard's sword comes down hard on the back of her head and everything is black.


	6. Chapter 6

_One Week Later…_

Lion-O watches as the cat Pumyra is led in chains back to her cell. He sneers and turns to Dobo. "Let me buy her from you."

She's a slave, but more than that she's one of his people. As ruler he is responsible for them and to see her suffer. Having to fight for her life. For her freedom.

Kit flashes to the front of his mind and he sucks in a breath. He keeps having to remind himself to stop thinking of her. To stay focused.

It's hard.

"With what?" Dobo says derisively. "Last I heard, the Thunderian empire isn't exactly thriving."

Lion-o sneers and turns away. Behind him, the crowd roars suddenly and Dobo smirks as he crosses his long arms. "Don't leave just yet, _your majesty_…" He mocks and Lion-o growls softly under his breath. Dobo ignores him and continues.

"You've yet to see the final fight. We save the best for last you know?"

Lion-O turns away again and motions for the others to follow. "Not interested."

Dobo grins and stands walking to the edge of the balcony and bracing a hand against the rail. "Are you sure? I must say, I'm impressed. You cats train your soldiers well. This one is making me a fortune and she's only been here a week!"

Glancing behind him, he see's Lion-O's ear twitch and he turns to him. It's not possible. Surely it's not her! She's too meticulous, too cunning! She wouldn't have been caught so easily! But curiosity overwhelms him and he steps up beside the Doberman.

Dobo turns to the stadium and raises his arms in the air in a grand gesture of introduction.

"People of Dogvaria! The match you've all been waiting for!" He gestures to the left gate of the area, where a lumbering white beast emerges from the dark depths within. From the looks of it, it's some kind of yeti, from the far in the north. Lion-o can't even begin to fathom how or why it came to be so far south of its homeland but from the looks of it, it's been here long. Its fur is mottled with dirt and blood. Patches are missing in various places from its wounds, both fresh and old. Its face is disfigured with a long, white scar that starts at one corner of its chin and ends at the opposite temple.

It's so primitive that it doesn't even wear clothes. But its fur is so long that it wouldn't matter even if it did. Behind it, a large pit bull guard, which barely stands to its waist, prods it forward with an electric poker. He jumps back as the beast roars, revealing long blunted fangs. One is broken half way but is no less daunting than the other.

The crowd roars alongside the beast.

"I feel sorry for the poor fellow that has to go up against him." Panthro mutters crossing his hulking arms. Lion-o turns to him. "You know him?"

"That's the Northern Ice Demon. He was the reigning champion when I was last here. No one has ever defeated him and only one has ever faced him in battle and lived." His eyes shoot to Dobo suspiciously. "I'd heard he'd retired."

Dobo smiles and turns to stare at the opposite gate which has slowly begun to open. The Beast snorts and pounds at the ground in anticipation. "He came back especially for this opponent."

"Heard she's the master of torture." Panthro remarks casually. The rumors circulate her, this mysterious warrior, creating a slightly terrifying image that almost rivals that of their enemy's. "You heard right." Dobo smirks, leaning his long muzzle into his hand as the large wrought iron gate begins to rise. "She has a way with pain and a way with mind tricks and a way with her hands. She isn't called She-Devil simply for advertisement."

The roars of the crowd deafen them as the opponent steps into the light. Lion-O turns and his hands clench the edge of the landing so hard the stone cracks.

"Kit!"

"What!" Panthro shouts leaning over for a better view.

It's true because she's there. She walks a slow march out into the arena with her hands stiffly (and empty to Lion-O's shock) at her side. She's wearing less than she was when she left them. Something scantily cut from leather and her hair is tied high on her head like when she was younger.

"Oh, so you know her too?" Dobo grins.

"She belongs with us!" Lion-o growls ferociously as he turns to the Doberman.

"She belongs here." Dobo says as he returns to his seat. "I can assure you that."

"What do you mean by that?" Panthro asks as he turns to his old friend. The pit wasn't for just anybody. It was more or less a prison, with a built in get out of jail free card. Those who had committed a serious enough crime to be sentenced to death would be sent here. If they survived, they walked. Most however, did not. So how did Kit get caught up in this mess?

Dobo's eyes flicker to his old friend for a moment then back to the pit. "She came here about a week ago and took up residence in a tavern. We're not sure what she was doing there."

"You're not sure?"

"No, all the witnesses are dead."

Lion-O turns back to him in surprise. Dead? What did he mean? What did Kit have to do with all this?

"The owner of the bar claimed she came in, got drunk and went crazy. She'd killed five men by the time we got there…"

"You have no proof it was her!"

Dobo shoots his eyes to Lion-O and glares. "She killed the owner right in front of us." Cheetara clenches her fists as she glances hesitantly at Lion-O. He's staring at Dobo like he's crazy. He's lying, he thinks. That can't be true. Kit's changed sure but she's no murderer!

He looks over the side again and watches as Kit stops a scant few feet away from the giant. He towers over her, her head stopping just barely above his knees. But she's unafraid. She simply stares up at the beast with a feral grin and Lion-o feels something heavy settle in his stomach. There is an evil glint in her eyes, a wild look that scares him. Cheetara places a hand on his shoulder and attempts to pull him away.

"Lion-o, you don't want to watch this. You won't like what you see." He shrugs violently, knocking her hand off. She hesitates then backs away. If he won't listen to her then he'll have to find out the hard way. Cheetara turns her face into the crook of Tygra's neck and just breathes. She can't watch this again. Last time, Wilykit had been hunting, this time, she's fighting for her life. And Cheetara knows she won't have to fight hard.

Kit grins at the beast and miraculously, he grins back. "Stupid kitty." He says, spittle spraying in her face. She ignores it and only grins wider. His mind isn't as impressive as his size, she thinks, good.

"Dumb monkey." She quips. The beasts eyes swell in its head and he beats at the ground around her in anger as he squeals, "Joe is not Monkey!" He growls.

Kit quirks an eyebrow as she jumps out of the way and lands a few feet to his left. Joe? Really? "Sorry!" She laughs. "Gorilla then!"

She leaps aside as Joe roars in agitation, swiping his fleshy arm under her feet. She looks around for a weapon and spots sabre in the corner another opponent had dropped earlier. She dashes for it and leaps over a white arm as it crashes in front of her to block her path. She skids on her side, swiping the sword in her hand and flips back into a standing position in one fluid movement. Lion-o stares amazed and the crowd cheers. He can't believe it. She's fighting for her life and she's acting like it's a game. He wonders for a moment if she really is crazy.

Kit flips the sword around in her hand, surveying her opponent for a moment. She crouches, swaying on the tips of her feet like she's ready to bolt any minute. Her tail swishes erratically behind her. "Stupid kitty! Stand still so Joe can crush you!" Joe shouts, pounding at the ground. Her eye thin to pinpricks and suddenly, she's gone. Lion-O's eyes search frantically for her and Joe looks around confused. Then, Joe closes his eyes and takes a long sniff of the air around him. His arms shoot up and grab something above his head. He grins and brings Kit closer to his face as he laughs. "I got you now! You stink of blood Kitty."

"Yeah," she grimaces as he squeezes. "You smell like shit." She brings her legs up, the claws of her toes scratching the underside of his arm while her own arm brings the sword down, stabbing into the back of his hand. With a shrieking howl, he drops her and she sprints around him. Joe rips the sword out of his hand, blood drips to the dusty sand below and he weakly clenches damaged fingers.

With his other, uninjured hand, he attempts to smash her into the ground, but she evades him, leaping over his arm as it sweeps the dirt after her. Unexpectedly, his other hand, which she'd have thought useless to him now, catches her mid-jump and sends her flying back with a force that knocks the breath from her lungs. His claws catch her exposed mid-drift, tearing the skin and leaving a long red gash from below her left breast and down over her right hip. She rolls head over heels in the dirt and Lion-O has to be restrained by Panthro to keep from jumping down into the arena to help her. "Kit!" He yells but his voice is drowned out by the roar of the crowd. "If you intervene, you condemn her to death." Dobo says, watching him amusedly. Lion-O growls and claws at Panthro's arms. He doesn't let go.

Lion-O watches as Joe runs after her, quickly catching up. When he's a few feet away, he leaps into the air, intending to jump on her. Wilykit sees him in time and in a flash, she's gone. She rebounds off the pit's outer wall and using the momentum to her advantage, leaps higher towards his face. Her claws rake down over his face in fury, leaving long red marks over his right eye and down across his broad nose. She steps on his shoulder, using it as leverage to push herself off and she's falling back towards the ground. She sees a sword lying in the dirt and she swipes it up.

Lion-O watches stunned, as she twirls, her tail tangling around her legs and the sword flies from her fingers in perfect aim to imbed itself into the back of the beast's left leg. Joe falls to his knee and screams in agony. Cheetara winces and buries her face deeper into Tygra's collar. Tygra is stunned and a little nauseated at the performance. He's seen his share of bloody battles, but never one so brutal as this.

Wilykit jumps and with expert precision, lands on the hilt of the sword, driving it deeper until the tip emerges from just above the creature's knee. She flips backwards, avoiding his flailing arms and skids across the dirt. Finally, with the beast stilled for a moment she pauses to inspect her wound. It's deep, but not enough to be fatal. She pushes her hand against the cut to stem the bleeding, but the red substance only pumps steadily through her fingers. She furrows her brow and winces at the burning pain that shoots through her. This isn't going to work. In desperation, she rips the long scrap of dirty rag that she used to tie up her hair free. Her hair falls in messy tangles around her shoulders and she quickly works at tying the cloth around her. She pulls it tight, ignoring the stabbing pain and ties it. She can see little spots of red dotting the front through the thin fabric already. She doesn't have long.

It's time to end this. Joe's hands scramble behind him and finally he grasps the handle of the sword. With a sickening sound, he pulls it free from his leg and throws it at her. Almost spitefully, she catches it and grins at him. Lion-O thinks he hates that smile. It's ugly and demonic and doesn't belong on her face.

"Joe." She admonishes the beast. "You're not supposed to give the sword back." Joe growls angrily as he steadily stands to his feet. "Now that's just stupid." She goads.

Faster that the words leave her mouth, he's charging after her. She smiles. Good. When he gets close enough, she'll slice through that thick next of his. Lion-O watches in horror as she simply stands there waiting for him. "Move!" He screams. "Wilykit , move!"

It's a mistake he wishes he hadn't made, because he's distracted her. Wilykit 's ear cocks slightly and she whips her head around in surprise. Was that? No! That's impossible! She covered her tracks! The chances that he'd come to this town, to this arena…it's just not possible! But it seems it is possible because there, in the stands with the lanista, is Lion-O, held back by Panthro and watching her.

The look in his eyes churns her stomach. It is the look of fear. She wishes he wasn't there. She wishes he couldn't see. She wishes she'd left the arena instead of staying and fighting. Most of all, she wishes he wasn't looking at her like that.

Suddenly, with a ferocious growl, he breaks free from Panthro and leans far over the edge of the stone railing to shout at her. "Kit, MOVE!"

Her brows crinkle in confusion and realization dawns on her. She jerks around back towards her opponent and brings up her sword just as his meaty fingers fly towards her, intending to grab her up. She slices through his last two fingers on his already injured hand. They fall, like thick furry logs to the ground beside her. She's missed her chance! He howls and grabs her with his other hand before she can escape. His three remaining fingers on his other hand wrap around her legs, his blood, slick and hot against her skin. He begins to pull, trying to rip her in half and Wilykit screams. Sheer and utter agony overwhelm her and she can't get free. She feels the wound on her stomach pulling, tearing open and she prays that the bandage holds. Lion-O almost leaps the wall but this time, it's Dobo who subdues him.

He's forced to watch as she's ripped apart. In desperation, Wilykit sinks her teeth into the beast's hand and pulls. Blood sprays into her mouth, across her face. All she sees is red and he drops her. She hits the ground hard and doesn't move.

The crowd falls deathly silent and Lion-O freezes. No.

She doesn't move, even as Joe's fingers fist into her leather top and pulls her limply from the ground. He shakes her slightly and sniffs her. No!

With a triumphant roar, he holds her high above his head and the crowd joins him.

"NO!" Lion-O screams. "Kit! Wilykit , wake up! KIT!"

Cheetara's fingers fly to her lips in shock and Tygra has gone pale. Panthro is silent but no less shocked. Finally, Dobo releases him and Lion-O sags against the wall, staring helplessly down at the girl who saved his life. The girl he'd lost and finally, found again. The girl who he…

Her tail twitches, unknown by the beast but Lion-O sees it clearly. He hears her gasp as her eyes snap open and suddenly, she's gone. Joe looks around in amazement , holding a scrap of red leather in his fingers while a blur of red and brown flashes around his legs. With a cry, he hits his knees, blood spraying the ground in front of him from the long, gaping line in his stomach. His fingers clutch feebly trying to hold in his innards, which are slowly peeking out from between the stained fur.

Lion-O searches for Kit, his eyes weaving wildly in his head and finally he spots her as she lands on the back of the Yeti's shoulders. Her top is torn and gapes open in the front from where Joe ripped it. It reveals far too much but enough to send the arena into a frenzy. She flings her arms out and something, a long, bloody chain, wraps around his neck. Where did she get that? Lion-O briefly wonders if it was another weapon lying forgotten in the dirt. Joe's hands fly up from his stomach and to his throat as she pulls the chain taunt. For a long moment, the two grapple with each other for dominance. Joe's fingers pulling at the chair while she pulls it tighter.

She almost died, Kit realizes.

Here, in this arena. In the dirt and blood of countless other. Like a common slave.

The thought causes fury to bubble in her gut. She almost died. Without ever coming close to her goal. Without even seeing Mumm Ra!

She almost died, right in front of her most cherished hero. The wound on her stomach throbs painfully. She might still die.

Her pupils narrow to pinpricks and with a ferocious scream, she yanks the chain closed, and Joe's head is severed from his shoulders. It flies through the air, bounces on the ground three times then lies still. Blood coats her, showers her in endless red. His body stands still for a second or two and then topples forward into the dirt. Wilykit stumbles as she lands, and hits her knees, bracing herself with her hands. She breaths hard, the dust clogging her lungs and the blood and sweat blinding her. She doesn't try to look at Lion-O. She doesn't want to see the look on his face.

Instead, she stands and raises her arms to the crowd in victory, heedless of her bare chest. She's forsaken dignity long ago. Their answering roar drowns out her thoughts and the sound of her own pounding heart in her ears.

Dobo releases Lion-O and approaches the rail. Reluctantly, Kit turns and meets the astonished gazes of her friends and lanista. Dobo smiles a broad, toothy grin and raises his arms to her. "Our champion reigns supreme!" He shouts. "Wilykit , She-Devil of Thundera!"

Lion-O can't take his eyes off her. She looks like a goddess of war, standing there with her top gaping open and covered with blood and gore and though he's so far above her, he can still see her amber eyes burning fiercely with the glare she's settled on him. With a stiff nod at Dobo, she walks back towards the gate, head held high and arms waving defiantly at her sides.

Only once the gates have closed and she's safely hidden away in darkness, does she collapse against the burly pit-bull guard. As if it were an everyday occurrence, the guard lifts her and carries her swiftly back to her cell, calling for the physician as he goes.

Lion-O turns to dobo with a ferocious growl. The next match has already begun but he's not interested. He's seen enough. Boldly, he grabs the lapels of the doberman's vest and glares up at him. "You will release her! And the Pumyra cat!"

Dobo growls in warning and Panthro pulls the young king away forcefully. Tygra pushes away from Cheetara who is watching them warily, anticipating a fight. "Then, let us buy their freedom." He negotiates.

Dobo sneers. "With what? They'll earn their freedom if they survive one hundred fights."

"A slave can't possibly mean so much to you that you should care whether she lives or dies. What would it matter if we purchased them? We have the means." Tygra attempts to negotiate with the dog.

Dobo raises an admonishing finger. "That is where you're wrong. This woman is popular; she is a warrior and she's a cat. People of her ilk have been inciting mayhem from time immemorial."

"Kit is not dangerous in that sense!" Lion-O barks, sounding almost like the dog he argues against.

"Boy, your reckless admiration for this woman blinds you to the truth about her. Were your eyes and ears closed during her fight?"

"What number is our…companion on?" Cheetara asks avoiding Lion-O's glare. Dobo smirks. "This was her last. She'll be free to go once she's healed. Pumyra however is only on her ninety-ninth."

Panthro's eyes widen because he was sure he'd heard Dobo say she'd only been here a week. He clears his throat in an attempt to hide his surprise and clenches tighter to his captive. Lion-O breaks away from him and attempts to remain calm. With a defiant glare, he says to Dobo, "it would be a shame if she escaped before that."

Dobo growls and turns to leave. As he passes Panthro, he smirks. "Make sure your friend doesn't do anything stupid."

Lion-O makes to go after him but Panthro's hand on his shoulder stops him. "The lizards are bad enough." He says, "we don't need a war with the dogs too." Lion-O jerks away from him. "Wilykit …"

"Is free. And as soon as she's healed we'll get her." Lion-O turns away with a grimace. 'If only we can get to her before she runs off again', he thinks. "And the other cat?" He says spitefully. "She's a Thundercat, Panthro. I won't let her be a slave."

Not briefly does he wonder why he's always too late with Wilykit .


	7. Chapter 7

She doesn't sleep well. Her dreams are filled with bad memories and screaming. But as Wilykit opens her eyes blearily, she comes to realize that the screaming isn't her dreams at all. Her neighbor is throwing a tantrum again. Vaguely, she wishes she'd had the chance to fight Pumyra. If only to kill her so she wouldn't keep her up at night. Her mouth is dry, like cotton and she attempts to wet her lips. It's dark in the cell, and even with the lamplight right outside, she still finds it hard to see.

"It's okay!"

"I said get away from me!"

Her bleary eyes snap open as she recognizes the voice outside. Quickly, (too quickly she thinks as she pulls at the stitches laced across her stomach from her earlier fight) she leaps out of her bed and hides expertly in the shadows of her cell. Fate be kind, he won't find her and try to convince her to come back with them.

But fate is seldom ever kind.

Pumyra continues screaming and Wilykit rocks back on her heels as she sees Dobo emerge from the shadows outside her cell. She watches warily as he takes the Sword of Omens from a captive Lion-O and glares at him.

"You care so much about her, Lion-O?" He asks and Wilykit 's eyes narrow. Who? Pumyra? She feels a slight sting run through her and her claws dig into the soft earth at her feet. Was he even trying to look for her? She pushes these thoughts aside as Dobo speaks again. "You can join her."

Wilykit shrinks back further against the wall as Lion-O is thrust into her cell. He lands roughly on his back and it's not long till he shoots up to grasp at the bars of the door which slams shut behind him. She doesn't move, doesn't make a sound. Dobo comes closer and grins down at him. "In fact, you can be next in line to fight her."

His eyes flicker briefly towards her and she knows he sees her hunkered in the corner. He smirks and after a second, is gone. Lion-O sags against the bars and sighs. He wouldn't make it as a prisoner. She thinks. She watches as he scoots back to lean against the wall, a frown marring his features and Wilykit hopes he'll fall asleep so she can sneek past him and escape before he notices she's here. She could have left before, easily. Why didn't she? She berates herself for her stupidity at wanting to stay and try to earn her freedom. At least she wouldn't be a wanted woman but now, Wilykit would prefer being a criminal as opposed to this.

She knows that sleep will not come for him. Lion-O never sleeps in an unfamiliar place and it won't surprise her if he stays up all night, making several attempts at escape on his own. He growls softly to himself and Wilykit stiffens.

"I was only trying to help." He says angling his face towards the bars and she knows he is talking to Pumyra. Next door, she can hear her neighbor's angry hiss.

"You're a piece of work you know? You act like I'm your enemy."

"That's exactly what you are to me." She spit's angrily back at him. Wilykit cocks her ear in curiosity. Interesting.

"I am your king!" He growls. What is wrong with this woman? He thinks. He still has to find Kit. He has to make sure she's alright. Lion-O's fist clench at his sides.

"A king would not abandon his people when Thundera fell. A _king_ would not have let his people be _sold_ into slavery. And a _king_ would have done something for them by now!" Her words sting and immediately his mind wanders to Kit. He remembers when she fell out of that portal, dressed in dirty slave garb and wild as crazed animal. He remembers when she disappeared, how he did nothing. He growls softly and Kit recognizes it as a more dangerous growl than one of anger. She suddenly feels the itching inclination to run but doesn't dare move. She doesn't like being cornered.

"I did what I had to do, so I could fight another day." He turns his head to glare at his feet. Wilykit knows he's thinking deeply about something and she wishes she knew what.

"And how many more days do you need before you free your people?" Pumyra growls from her cell. "So many waited for you to save them from their torment! Until their last breath they waited!" There is so much raw hatred in the other woman's voice that Wilykit cannot bring herself to feel sorry for her king. Because she feels almost similarly. The words strike home to her. Like the people of Thundera, she waited and waited for Lion-O to come for her. Ten years. Ten years as a slave to the monster Mumm –Ra! And oh how she prayed and prayed that he would come. She feels a growl rising In her throat but it quells. Because he did come. And it wasn't exactly his fault that time moved differently between the two worlds. Glancing at him and his downtrodden expression she hoped he was thinking of her in that moment. Of the pain and suffering she went through for him.

And he is. He is thinking of her and a weight settles in his chest because every word that streams from the cat's mouth makes him think only of Kit. Was that why she left? Was she angry with him? Lion-O grits his teeth. He needs to find her.

"I can't change the past!" He yells more to himself than her. After a moment, his voice softens from an angry growl to something more sedated. "I can promise that I'll stand by you now."

Pumyra laughs bitterly at his statement. "Hah! I stopped believing you'd rescue me a long time ago, Lion-O. I will earn myself the freedom _my king_ could not give me." She sneers but then it dissolves back into that angry growl. "You better hope She-Devil kills you tonight because when we get into that arena tomorrow, I am going to _rip you to pieces_." Pumyra says no more but the title rings in his head. She-Devil? His eyes widen and he whips around to examine the cell. Wilykit tenses angrily. Damn than woman!

Lion-O sees nothing, only shadows and a straw bed that has slight blood stains on the surface. Examining them, he sees they are fresh and almost hesitantly, as if believing his luck could not be so fortunate, he whispers, "Kit?" Silence. He knows that she can hide as easily as if she were invisible and he sighs. Sitting on the bed, he buries his face in his hands in agitation. Why must she insist on being so difficult? His gaze alights on a spot of blood dotting the dirt floor in front of him, barely conceivable but there all the same. Slightly further ahead, another spot and then another. A trail of blood leads into the far corner of the cell and just barely, he can make out a small form crouched there.

'Found you.' He thinks with a slight smile. He stands and approaches her without caution. He thinks she is simply afraid of confrontation after she's been found. Like a guilty child caught in the act of troublemaking. He is wrong.

His hand reaches for her through the dark and suddenly she screams, lunging at him from the shadows and knocking him flat on his back. Her eyes are thin slits drowning in burning amber and he can feel her tail twitching erratically against his legs. Her claws gaze against his throat and he chokes in fear and surprise. The image of her ruthless killing in the arena comes to the forefront of his mind and for a second he is truly afraid of her. Her slight growling isn't exactly helping matters either.

"Kit, stop! It's me!" A wave of déjà vu sweeps through him. She growls louder and presses her claws into the soft skin under his chin. "How did you find me?" She snaps. Maybe if she can scare him, he'll let her be. Maybe he'll abandon her. She hopes he will. She can face his fear but not his disappointment.

Lion-O glares at her. "Call it coincidence." He snaps back. The fear in his eyes is gone and she growls louder trying to bring it back. But it stays gone and he actually has the audacity to smirk at her. "Oh please." He says and just as she begins to quirk a brow at him, his fingers brush none too gently against her bandaged stomach and she yelps in pain, reeling back in surprise. Suddenly, it's she who's lying pinned beneath him and he flips them, her wrists captured firmly beside her head.

She growls in irritation. "Get off!"

"No." He smiles. She bucks against him, hoping to push him off but he only scoots back to sit on her legs. "Get off of me, Lion-O!" She screams. The scream dies in her throat at his look. It's a look of sadness and pain, but most of all; it's a look of disappointment. She lies still and turns her face away. She grits her teeth as her eyes burn. Her stomach hurts, it's burning from where she strained it and she's sure she's re-opened it but the pain is nothing compared to the way she feels when he looks at her like that. If she had the energy, she's sure she'd push him off her and run and never look back.

He takes moment to observe her. Bruised, scratched, bandaged, bloody, reeking of the arena and looking utterly fatigued, she still refuses to be complacent. She's turned into ever the rebel. He can't blame her for that either.

"Why did you leave?" He asks softly. It's a startling sound that breaks the silence of the prison. She swallows back the tears and breaths slowly. She has to compose herself. She's not weak and she will not appear that way in front of him. "I had to." She said, refusing to look at him and instead choosing to stare at the shadows as they danced across the wall across from her. The lamp outside the cell flickers and pops making them jump erratically for a second then slow into a relaxing wave. They lull her into a calm that she has not felt in a while and she relaxes fully beneath him. Lion-O lets go of her wrist and instead braces himself on his hands beside her shoulders. She doesn't move other than to bring her hands down to rub soothingly at her wound. He winces. He didn't mean to hurt her.

"Why did you have to?"

She doesn't say anything, just lays there watching the wall. Lion-O sighs irritably. "If won't tell me why you left then tell me why you killed those people." Her head snaps back to him in anger. "They attacked me!"

"So you kill them?"

She scoffs at his silly morals and shrugs her shoulders. "It's their life or mine." She says to his disbelief. Really, it doesn't matter to her whether she's killed them or not. They were just as eager to do her in. She returned the favor in kind. Wilykit supposes she just not very sentimental anymore. "Would you have rather I let them live?" She asks him, her eyes dark. "Do you even know the full story?"

At the shake of his head she smiles bitterly. "The inn keeper was a member of a gang I suppose. Once she was sure she had me thoroughly drunk, five of her friends tried to ambush me in my sleep." She pauses at his grim expression and she takes the moment to smile wickedly up at him. She's trying to scare him and it seems the words she says next succeed in doing so. "But I wasn't asleep, was I?"

He says nothing and just stares down at her grimly. She removes one of her hands from her stomach and brushes her claws gently across his face, almost tenderly. His eyes widen a fraction as she smiles softly at him. There is a hint of sadness in that smile she's trying to hide, he can see it. "Do you still think I'm not a monster?" She asks him. "There's no hiding it anymore. You saw me in the arena; you know what I'm capable of. Can you honestly say you don't find me repulsive after everything you've seen?" One of his hands catches her wrist before she can remove it and he presses it to his cheek. He sighs as her smile disappears and is replaced with a frown. "Yes." He whispers.

She cocks a brow at him, but there is a genuine quirk at the corner of her lips. "Kit, I'll only tell you this once more, so you better listen this time." He says in all seriousness. "You're not a monster and you are by no means…repulsive." As if to prove this point, his fingers thread with hers against his cheek while his thumb rubs a soothing pattern into her palm.

This isn't her fault. It's not. She was warped and twisted and made into something cruel. She said it herself; she had no choice but to kill or be killed. She has simply grown used to it.

Boldly, he turns her hand against his face and kisses her palm softly, his eyes never once leaving her face. He may not be afraid of her, but he still isn't sure how she'll react. He's not willing to be caught unaware if she decides to react negatively and rip into his throat for this. Wilykit only watches him curiously instead, her lips parted slightly and her brows lowered over her eyes as if she were confused as to his actions. In a way she is. She's never known such gentle affection and is unsure how to react to it.

Tentatively, her other hand reaches up and cups his other cheek. She licks her lips, his eyes tracking her every movement. Her mouth is suddenly dry as she tries to find the words to speak. "Why?" She asks. Though she's not sure entirely of what she's asking herself. Why isn't he afraid? Why does he continue to have such faith in her, even when she's lost all in herself?

He smiles that broad goofy grin of his and there is an understanding in his gaze that she can't even begin to comprehend. "You've always had faith in me…why shouldn't I return the favor?"

She doesn't reply to that. She can't think of anything to say. She searches his face, looking with expert eyes for any sign of deception. She can find none and almost despairs at this fact. The silence thickens around them and the only sound that permeates is the snoring of the guards outside. Her fingers tighten against his face as his head begins to lower slowly, his eyes becoming hooded under that predatory gaze. As if they were too tired to stay open.

His nose brushes hers and his breath exhales in a slow sigh as his eyes close completely. He wants to kiss her. If only to satiate this burning desire that has plagued him since her return. But he's afraid of how she'll react. He's afraid he'll only hurt her more after all that she's been through. Simply put, Lion-O is afraid.

He is afraid. But not of her.

Never of her.

He can feel her shaking under him. Trembling in fear most like. How can he be so selfish? He can only imagine how frightened she is. How confused. Lion-O suddenly feels disgusted with himself. With his inability to control himself. Just as he starts to pull away from her and apologize profusely, he feels the slightest brush of her lips as she kisses him.

It's so soft, that it's barely there and altogether too brief but he doesn't savor the moisture of her kiss any less. His eyes shoot open in surprise to find her watching him. Golden orbs rake over his face, absorbing every detail then after a moment, close completely. When she kisses him again, he hesitantly returns it, choosing to let her take the lead, lest she changes her mind.

Her hands leave his face and travel down over his shoulders and across his back. He wishes he'd had the forethought to remove his breast plate to feel those hands against his skin. As the kiss deepens, he lowers into her, careful of her wound and braces his hand beside her head while his other snakes into her hair.

Unbeknownst to him, Wilykit's eyes crack open to watch him as her hand snakes from behind him and into the crook of his elbow. Simultaneously, her foot lodges gently behind his knee and with surprising agility, she carefully flips them. There is a slight sting in her stomach as her stitches pull in protest but she ignores it as she breaks the kiss to stare triumphantly down at him.

He meets her gaze with his own surprised look and watches her carefully for any sign of anger at his actions. There is only a coy smile he is unfamiliar with seeing on her face. There's a dark, intense look in her golden gaze that sets his blood to boiling. He opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off with another searing kiss. Every thought prior to this leaves his head and his fingers clench greedily at the flesh of her thigh as he tries to pull her even closer. Surprisingly, she lets him. Absently, her hand reaches up to snake under the dirty straw that serves as her mattress beside them. He hears the sound of metal clinking and feels something cold encircle his wrist. He sits up as she pulls away and off him, sitting crouched back on her heels to watch him with a slight Cheshire smile.

He pulls at his wrist where she's cuffed him the leg of the bed. He sighs in slight agitation and leans back on his elbows to look at her. He should've known. The other prisoners wore cuffs, absently, he'd wondered where hers were. Now he knew. "Well…" He begins wearily, "it's not what I had in mind but ok."

She smirks and her tail swishes playfully behind her. Her expression melts into a serious one and he tenses. "Why did you come here?" She asks him.

His brow furrows in confusion. "What?"

"Down here. You must have known that was my last fight. Dobo would have told you I'm sure." He sits up fully to regard her with a questioning look as she rocks slightly on her heels. "It's the other one, isn't it? Pumyra?"

"And you too!" He interrupts fiercely. "I came to get you both out of here!" Although it seems his help is neither wanted nor needed. What is she planning?

She smiles teasingly at him. "Kat, did he see?" She asks, abruptly changing the subject. Lion-O sighs in agitation. "No, he left to explore the town with Snarf before…"

"Good." She says rocking up into a standing position. "I would never want him to see…" She doesn't finish. She hears him growl as she turns towards the bars of her cell. "Kit, you can't just run off again!"

"Yes I can, before you make the wrong decision!" She says heatedly as she gathers her things from a corner of the room. As the dim lamplight passes over her, he suddenly realizes she's only wearing a dirty wrapping to preserve her modesty and the leather skirt she adorned earlier. She turns to meet his shocked gaze with her own hardened one. "You're a king, Lion-O. And I know how you think." She says. "The problem with you is you think too much with this…" she presses a palm over her heart, "and not enough with this." Her hand moves to point at her head and he raises a shocked brow. "Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" He asks. She doesn't say anything for a minute and when she does, it's so quiet, he almost doesn't hear her. "Not in the real world." He scoffs. "I know you, I know where this is going…"

"You didn't seem to be complaining too much a few seconds ago." He snapped. She smiles coyly and he gulps as heat pervaded his senses once more at that look. "It was a test." She says. It's as if she'd dumped a pail of cold water over him. She watches as his shocked look melds into a hard glare as he settles back onto his elbows.

"I'm grateful for what you did. But I have my life back and you have yours… don't waste it." She says turning towards the bars.

"Kay, fine." He growls. "You want to leave? Go ahead. But don't pretend it's to try and save me." She quirks a brow at him and he continues, his tone growing steadily angrier with every word. "You're afraid. Afraid to be happy. Afraid of letting your guard down of letting anyone in. Because you know you don't have it in you to hurt us!"

She stares long and hard at him and he almost shrinks back from the coldness of her look. She doesn't say anything for a minute and he almost thinks he somehow convinced her to stay in his own twisted way but then she speaks, her voice calm and controlled and deadly chilly. "I'm not leaving because I couldn't kill you." She says. "I'm leaving because I could."

The words send a chill down his spine and he watches helplessly as she slips nimbly through the bars of the cell and disappears in the shadows beyond.


End file.
